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March 14 (UPI) -- Just a few days after being traded from Pittsburgh to Oakland, wide receiver Antonio Brown is giving Steelers fans a fond farewell via an electronic billboard. The wide out, who was dealt to the Oakland Raiders early Friday, has purchased spots on various electronic billboards around Pittsburgh with the message "Thank You Pittsburgh, AB 84."
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The billboard spots were purchased by Brown himself, and went live the evening that Brown had his introductory news conference with the Raiders in Oakland.
Brown was traded by the Steelers to the Raiders following a messy few months which saw the Pro Bowl receiver demanded a trade from the team. Pittsburgh received a third and fifth-round pick in this year's NFL Draft in return for Brown.
The Steelers became upset with Brown when in the final week of the regular season he stated he was suffering from an injury, and when he was ruled inactive in the teams' final game against the Cincinnati Bengals, he left Heinz Field at halftime.
Brown became one of, if not the best receiver in the game over the last six seasons, catching over 100 passes in each of the last six campaigns, and last season caught 104 passes for 1,297 yards with a league leading 15 touchdowns.
The receiver spoke highly of Pittsburgh in his first press conference in Oakland, thanking them for the chance to form himself into an All-Pro receiver in the NFL.
"To any kid out there from Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh will always be my family," Brown said. "Those guys gave me a chance when I was a 21-year-old kid. Obviously, people are listening to the things that are being said and written. At the end of the day, it's all about how you make people feel.
"I think I made people feel good and great, really inspired, the way they watched me work, the way they watched me play. I know Steeler Nation is having a bad day today, but it's always love."
Oakland gave Brown a new three-year contract which includes $30 million guaranteed.
