As Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Antonio Brown was stripping off his equipment and leaving the field late in the third quarter last Sunday, fans near the visiting sideline at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey watched puzzled and confused.

Trailing by two touchdowns, Tampa Bay was about to start an important drive, but Brown didn’t seem interested in taking part.

“We were all trying to figure out what was going on,” said Beaumont resident Mark McKee, who had seats near the 10-yard line. “We were standing there shocked.”

Before running off the field and into the locker room, Brown proceeded to throw his shirt and gloves into the stands, and McKee was in just the right spot to take home a special souvenir. McKee caught the glove, and as news of Brown’s tirade went viral, so too did the Beaumont resident who caught the memento.

Since posting the glove on social media, McKee said he’s received messages from friends, family, NFL meme accounts and media members, all trying to get his first-hand perspective on Brown’s unusual exit from MetLife Stadium.

“I caught the glove and it’s really a piece of history,” McKee said. “It’s caused of a lot of attention and I guess I didn’t realize that at the beginning. But it was a great experience as a fan.”

McKee has been a Bucs fan for nearly three decades. He fell in love with the hard-hitting defenses anchored by players like John Lynch and Warren Sapp. More recently, he’s enjoyed the spoils brought to Tampa Bay by Tom Brady, and hopes to see another Super Bowl soon.

McKee has attended multiple games this season, including Tampa Bay’s surprising Sunday-night loss against New Orleans two weeks ago. He needed a “redeemer” game after the tough defeat, so he bought tickets for Tampa Bay’s game at the New York Jets last Sunday.

His brother and friend both couldn’t make it at the last minute, so McKee made the trip to East Rutherford, New Jersey by himself.

McKee “had a blast” at the game, highlighted by the unexpected souvenir. Tampa Bay even made a comeback after Brown’s exit, capping the experience for McKee and other Bucs fans at MetLife Stadium.

Brown’s antics made national news, with NFL Network now reporting that the exit stemmed from head coach Bruce Arians wanting Brown to play despite an injury. Arians has since denied that, stating that Brown never told the coaching staff he was hurt.

McKee arrived home on Monday night, and has yet to decide what he’ll do with the glove moving forward. He could keep it, or might end up selling it.

“I’m a big Bucs fan, but now that I think about it, it might be more special to someone else,” McKee said.

Written by Matt Faye