ALAMEDA — Trent Brown stood in the middle of a Super Bowl celebration last month in a state of euphoria and sadness. As confetti fell inside Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the New England Patriot’s tackle kissed the Lombardi Trophy and said, “Weezy, that was for you.”
Neiron Ball, aka “Weezy,” was unaware of his best friend’s tribute after the Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13-3. Ball, a former Raiders linebacker, is in a coma at a long-term care facility in Georgia after an aneurysm burst in his brain Sept. 16.
It has been an emotional six months for Brown, who last week signed with the Raiders for the richest contract ever for an offensive lineman.