Dancing with the Stars eliminee Antonio Brown may not have won the mirrorball this season, but he says his pro partner Sharna Burgess was the real trophy.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Our dances were amazing, and I just feel bad for this beautiful girl right here because she's a winner and I wanted her to get a trophy," Brown told E! News following his Dancing with the Stars elimination Monday night, adding that he had a lot of time to spend with Burgess.
"But the ultimate goal -- she is the trophy. She worked extremely hard, she's really passionate, and I'm just grateful to have had this experience with her."
In fact, the NFL wide receiver insisted he's "totally grateful" for the whole Dancing with the Stars experience.
"It's been a great journey for me. I'm really grateful for the opportunity, [for] the people who took care of me on the show... It's been an experience filled with a lot of joy, a lot of hard work and a lot of memories," Brown said.
ADVERTISEMENT
"It was a lot more work than I thought at first, but it was an amazing experience to be here for nine weeks. Getting to know Sharna and spend my time here was a blessing."
Brown and Burgess got sent home Monday night along with Boyz II Men member Wanya Morris and his pro partner Lindsay Arnold.
"There's absolutely no bitterness about this elimination. I think everyone in the final is so incredible," Burgess told E! News. "And I don't know who I would say, 'You out and us in,' but I will say I'm disappointed for Antonio -- he really wanted it. He wanted it for him and he wanted it for me, and I know he's disappointed too."
While fans will no longer see Brown dancing onstage, they'll probably see some special "touchdown celebrations" in the future, according to the professional football player.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski