Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown was recognized for his outstanding play today by his teammates who voted him the team's 2011 Most Valuable Player. It is the first time in Brown's two-year career that he has received the honor, and he became only the sixth Steelers' wide receiver to win the award in the last 40 years.
Brown, who was recently named to his first Pro Bowl as a kick returner, broke the Steelers' single-season record for all-purpose yards (2,048). Brown also set career highs in punt returns (30), punt return yards (325), kickoff returns (24) and kickoff return yards (664). His 27.7 kickoff return average is the third-highest in the NFL. Brown was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his Week 12 performance, when he returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown.
In addition to his success on special teams, Brown emerged as one of the Steelers' top threats at wide receiver. He surpassed 1,000 yards receiving for the first time in his career, and scored his first career receiving touchdown this season. Brown is also third in the NFL with 26 receptions on third downs.
Brown has come on strong during the second half of the season. In his last seven games, Brown has 29 receptions for 587 yards, which are both team highs. His 20.2 yards per catch average is good for second-best in the NFL during that span. Brown also led the team in either receptions or receiving yards for a seven-game stretch that started in October and ended in mid-December.
Brown is the first Steelers wide receiver to be named team MVP since Hines Ward in 2005.
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Following is the list of Steelers MVPs since 1969:
| 1969 | WR Roy Jeffeson | 1991 | LB Greg Lloyd |
| 1970 | DT Joe Greene | 1992 | RB Barry Foster |
| 1971 | LB Andy Russell | 1993 | CB Rod Woodson |
| 1972 | RB Franco Harris | 1994 | LB Greg Lloyd |
| 1973 | WR Ron Shanklin | 1995 | QB Neil O'Donnell |
| 1974 | S Glen Edwards | 1996 | RB Jerome Bettis |
| 1975 | CB Mel Blount | 1997 | RB Jerome Bettis |
| 1976 | LB Jack Lambert | 1998 | LB Levon Kirkland |
| 1977 | QB Terry Bradshaw | 1999 | LB Levon Kirkland |
| 1978 | QB Terry Bradshaw | 2000 | RB Jerome Bettis |
| 1979 | WR John Stallworth | 2001 | QB Kordell Stewart |
| 1980 | SS Donnie Shell | 2002 | WR Hines Ward |
| 1981 | LB Jack Lambert | LB Joey Porter | |
| 1982 | CB Dwayne Woodruff | 2003 | WR Hines Ward |
| 1983 | PK Gary Anderson | 2004 | LB James Farrior |
| 1984 | WR John Stallworth | 2005 | NT Casey Hampton |
| 1985 | WR Louis Lipps | WR Hines Ward | |
| 1986 | LB Bryan Hinkle | 2006 | RB Willie Parker |
| 1987 | LB Mike Merriweather | 2007 | LB James Harrison |
| 1988 | LB David Little | 2008 | LB James Harrison |
| CB Rod Woodson | 2009 | QB Ben Roethlisberger | |
| 1989 | WR Louis Lipps | 2010 | SS Troy Polamalu |
| 1990 | CB Rod Woodson | 2011 | WR Antonio Brown |
