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'''Terrell Eldorado Owens''', sometimes called '''T. O.''', (born [[December 7]], [[1973]], in Alexander City) is a a football player, currently with the Dallas Cowboys. He was deactivated for most of the 2005 season by the Philadelphia Eagles due primarily to behavior stemming from a contract dispute and conflicts with Donovan McNabb and other Eagles' players.
[[File:Terrell Owens.jpg|right|thumb|Terrell Owens]]
'''Terrell Eldorado Owens''' (born [[December 7]], [[1973]], in [[Alexander City]]) is a former American football wide receiver who played 15 seasons in the National Football League. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Owens holds or shares several National Football League records, and features in the all-time top-five in several receiving categories, including yards and touchdowns.


Although Owens is recognized as one of the most dominant receivers in the NFL today, he is also known for being a troublesome, high-maintenance player on and off the field. He has developed a reputation for causing controversies with teammates, coaches, opposing players, and fans. Even so, after banishment from the Eagles in 2005, many teammates came forward voicing support for Owens and campaigning in vain for his reinstatement with the Eagles.  
As productive as he has been, Owens has been equally controversial, creating firestorms with almost every team he has played for as a professional. Owens played college football and basketball at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and was selected in the third round of the [[1996]] NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Owens was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in [[2004]] after a spat with 49ers front office members. Two years later, he was released and signed to another large pact by the Dallas Cowboys, only to be given his unconditional release on [[March 4]], [[2009]]. Owens has also played for the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals in [[2009]] and [[2010]], respectively. He recently played for the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League, before being released in 2012.
 
Popularly known by his initials, T.O., Owens is as renowned for his flamboyant touchdown celebrations and public persona as he is for his talent on the field. His actions on and off the field have led to many league fines, as well as frequent penalties for his team.
   
   
Until recently a resident of [[Moorestown, New Jersey]], Owens also owns a home in Georgia.
With his cousin [[Antonio Minnifield]], Owens was a co-owner of [[Amani Raha]], an upscale bar at [[Dr Pepper Place]] from [[2005]] until [[2008]]. Owens was a top-6 finisher in the ABC reality show ''[[Dancing with the Stars]]'' season 25 in [[2017]]. The competition was won by Birmingham native [[Jordan Fisher]].


==Biography==
==Biography==
Owens was born into a troubled home in Alexander City. He immersed himself in sports from an early age, idolizing San Francisco wide receiver Jerry Rice. He was a four-year letterman in football and track at [[Benjamin Russell High School]] and also lettered three times in basketball and once in baseball. His high school career was not stellar. He didn't even start for the Wildcats until his senior year. He was not heavily recruited and chose to accept a scholarship from Tennessee-Chattanooga because they would allow him to play multiple sports.
Born into a troubled home in [[Alexander City]], Owens immersed himself in sports from an early age. He was a four-year letterman in football and track at [[Benjamin Russell High School]] and also lettered three times in basketball and once in baseball. His high school career was not stellar. He only became a starter for the Wildcats his senior year. He was not heavily recruited and accepted a scholarship offer from Tennessee-Chattanooga because they would allow him to play multiple sports.


Owens came into his own playing basketball, track and football for the Moccasins. He played in the 1995 NCAA Tournament in basketball and anchored the school's 4x100 relay team. Like his idol, Rice, Owens wore #80 on the football field. As a freshman, Owens was used sparingly by coach Buddy Nix, catching 6 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown. In his sophomore year new head coach Tommy West promoted him to starter. He caught 38 passes for 724 yards and 8 TDs in his second year, including a school record 4 touchdowns against Marshall. Playing for his third coach in three years, Owens anchored the offense during his junior year and caught 58 passes for 836 yards and 6 TDs. He was named to the Southern Conference All-Conference second team. In his senior year Owens faced double coverage every week and was limited to 43 receptions for 666 yards and one touchdown.  
Owens played in the 1995 NCAA Tournament in basketball and anchored the school's 4x100 relay team. In football, he wore #80 in honor of his idol, Jerry Rice. As a freshman, Owens was used sparingly by coach Buddy Nix, catching 6 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown. In his sophomore year new head coach Tommy West promoted him to starter. He caught 38 passes for 724 yards and 8 TDs in his second year, including a school record 4 touchdowns against Marshall. Playing for his third coach in three years, Owens anchored the offense during his junior year and caught 58 passes for 836 yards and 6 TDs. He was named to the Southern Conference All-Conference second team. In his senior year Owens faced double coverage every week and was limited to 43 receptions for 666 yards and one touchdown.  


===San Francisco 49ers===
===San Francisco 49ers===
Based as much on his size and speed as on his demonstrated ability, Owens was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 1996 draft, as the 89th overall pick. The chance to play alongside Jerry Rice thrilled the rookie. He stayed quiet in practice and made his first impact on special teams, recoding three tackles in a game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Based as much on his size and speed as on his demonstrated ability, Owens was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 1996 draft as the 89th overall pick. The chance to play alongside Jerry Rice thrilled the rookie. He stayed quiet in practice and made his first impact on special teams, recording three tackles in a game against the Atlanta Falcons.
 
In the 1997 season, after Jerry Rice went down early in the season with a torn ACL. Owens and quarterback Steve Young helped the 49ers win 13 games. In a 1998 wild-card playoff game against the Green Bay Packers, Owens caught a 25 yard touchdown pass amidst four Packers defenders in the final seconds that lifted the 49ers to a 30-27 victory. This catch became known as "The Catch II" among Niners fans.


In the 1997 season, Terrell Owens became a big name for the 49ers, when Jerry Rice went down early in the season with a torn ACL. He and quarterback Steve Young helped the 49ers win 13 games that season. In a 1998 wild card playoff game against the Green Bay Packers, the 49ers were trailing 27-23 with eight seconds left. Owens caught a 25 yard touchdown pass while surrounded by four Packers defenders that lifted the 49ers to a 30-27 victory. This catch became known as "The Catch II" among Niners fans.
The following season the 49ers fell to 4-12.  Young retired after the 1999 season and Jeff Garcia was named the starting quarterback. In 2000, although Owens put up very productive individual statistics, the Niners still only managed to win six games. In 2001, the 49ers rebounded to 12-4 before losing to the Packers in the wild card playoff round. By then, Owens was having widely documented feuds with Garcia and head coach Steve Mariucci. Sportswriters reported that Owens would refuse to even speak to the coach. At the conclusion of the 2002 season, Mariucci was fired and replaced by Dennis Erickson. In 2003, the 49ers fell back to 7-9 and Owens continued to criticize Garcia.  


The following season was a disaster for the 49ers as they fell to 4-12.  Young retired after the 1999 season and Jeff Garcia was named the starting quarterback. In 2000, although Owens put up very productive individual statistics, the Niners still only managed to win six games. In 2001, the 49ers rebounded to 12-4 before losing to the Packers in the wild card playoff round, but by then, Owens was having widely documented feuds with Garcia and head coach Steve Mariucci. Sportswriters reported that Owens would refuse to even speak to the coach. At the conclusion of the 2002 season, Mariucci was fired and replaced by Dennis Erickson. In 2003, the 49ers fell back to 7-9 and Owens constantly made insults about Garcia's on-the-field performance to the media, as well as insinuating that he was a homosexual. It became apparent to most sportswriters and NFL fans that Owens's days in San Francisco were numbered.  
While with San Francisco, Owens became notorious for his flamboyant and inflammatory celebrations after touchdowns. Of special note are the times he danced on the start at Texas Stadium (September 24, 2000) and pulled a sharpie out of his sock to sign a ball (October 14, 2002).


===Philadelphia Eagles===
===Philadelphia Eagles===
Although Owens was eager to leave the 49ers organization, his then-agent, David Joseph, missed a deadline to void the final years of his contract with the team. On [[March 4]], [[2004]], San Francisco traded Owens to the Baltimore Ravens for a second round pick in the 2004 draft. Owens challenged the team's right to make the deal, assuming that he would become a free agent on March 3. He has already reached a contract agreement with the Eagles. The NFL Players Union filed a grievance on Owens' behalf.
On March 4, [[2004]], San Francisco traded Owens to the Baltimore Ravens for a second round pick in the 2004 draft. Owens's contract with the Eagles was reported to be worth $49 million for seven years, including a $10 million signing bonus.
 
The NFL and the three teams involved in the controversy reached a settlement on [[March 16]], [[2004]]. The Ravens got their second-round pick back from the Niners, and the Niners in turn received a fifth-round pick and defensive end Brandon Whiting from the Eagles in exchange for the rights to Owens. Owens's contract with the Eagles was reported to be worth $49 million for seven years, including a $10 million signing bonus.
 
In September of 2004, Owens released his autobiography, ''Catch This! Going Deep with the NFL's Sharpest Weapon''.  The book is 288 pages and was ghostwritten by Stephen Singular. Owens later admitted in 2005 that he has never actually read his own "autobiography". The book appeared on the ''New York Times'' best-seller list briefly.
 
On [[November 15]], [[2004]], Owens appeared with popular Nicolette Sheridan (from the ABC series ''Desperate Housewives'') in an introductory skit for "Monday Night Football". The skit was widely condemned as being sexually suggestive and ABC apologized for airing it.
 
The 2004 season got off to a great start for the Eagles, who won 13 of their first 14 games with Owens averaging a touchdown catch per game. On [[December 19]], [[2004]], Owens severely sprained his ankle and fractured a fibula during a home game against the Cowboys, apparently ending his season. The Eagles managed to win their first NFC title since 1980 without Owens. He announced unexpectedly that he intended to play in that year's Super Bowl, even though team doctors were still saying that his injury would take several more weeks to heal. Owens did, in fact, start the game, catching 9 passes for 122 yards in the loss to the Patriots.
 
In April 2005, Owens hired Drew Rosenhaus as his agent and indicated that he wanted to renegotiate his contract with the Eagles. At the same time his public comments seemed to pin the blame for the superbowl loss on quarterback Donovan McNabb. His relationship with the team seems to have been permanently strained from then on.


===Contract renegotiation before 2005 season===
In September 2004, Owens released his autobiography, ''Catch This! Going Deep with the NFL's Sharpest Weapon''.  The 288 page book was ghostwritten by Stephen Singular. Owens later admitted in 2005 that he had never actually read his own "autobiography". The book appeared on the ''New York Times'' best-seller list briefly.


Owens' contract controversy heated up as training camp drew nearer.  Owens, with the negotiating help of agent Drew Rosenhaus, continued to lobby for a new contract.  One of the reasons Owens was so intent on the contract is that he is owed approximately $7.5 million in guaranteed money in [[2006]]. He is apparently concerned that the Eagles will not be willing to pay the bonuses and will release him before they are due.  Owens and Rosenhaus met with Eagles head coach [[Andy Reid]] and president Joe Banner, but no agreement was reached. This is in line with the Eagles' policy against contract renegotiations. Furthermore, Owens threatened to hold out of training camp until a deal was reached, but he reported to camp on time.  As of the 2005 season, Owens is in the second year of a seven-year, $49 million contract.
The 2004 season got off to a great start for the Eagles, who won 13 of their first 14 games with Owens averaging a touchdown catch per game. On December 19, [[2004]], Owens severely sprained his ankle and fractured a fibula during a home game against the Cowboys, apparently ending his season. The Eagles managed to win their first NFC title since 1980 without Owens. He announced unexpectedly that he intended to play in that year's Super Bowl, even though team doctors were still saying that his injury would take several more weeks to heal. Owens did, in fact, start the game, catching 9 passes for 122 yards in the loss to the Patriots.


On [[August 10]], [[2005]], Owens was suspended by the team for two weeks, after a heated exchange with [[Andy Reid]]. The Eagles mailed Owens a legal document, known as a ''Notice of Unsatisfactory Work Performance'', at his Atlanta home on [[August 15]] stipulating the behavior to which he is expected to adhere when he returned to the team, which he did, amid much fanfare, on [[August 17]].
In April 2005, Owens hired Drew Rosenhaus as his agent and indicated that he wanted to renegotiate his contract with the Eagles. Owens and Rosenhaus met with Eagles head coach Andy Reid and president Joe Banner, but no agreement was reached, leading Owens to threaten a holdout from training camp until a deal was reached. He did not make good on his threat and did not receive a new contract. He did receive a two-week suspension on August 10, [[2005]] after a heated exchange with Reid. The Eagles mailed Owens a ''Notice of Unsatisfactory Work Performance'', stipulating expectations for his behavior when he resumed playing August 17.


===More 2005 controversy===
In a November 3, [[2005]] interview, Owens said he thought the Eagles would be undefeated if Brett Favre were on the team instead of Donovan McNabb. He also criticized the Eagles organization for not publicly acknowledging his 100th career touchdown catch. Owens was given a 4-game suspension on November 5 for conduct detrimental to the team, which allegedly included a physical fight with a team official. Following the suspension he was deactivated and released from the team. In a later interview, Owens apologized to the team (including McNabb) and fans.
During his weekly [[Philadelphia]] sports radio show on [[WIP (AM)]] prior to the game against the [[Dallas Cowboys]], Owens stated if he could return to the [[2004]] off-season he would not have signed with the Eagles. Owens' comments were made a mockery of throughout the city considering the fact that the only other team interested in signing him was the [[Baltimore Ravens]], whom he spurned in favor of signing with the Eagles. After the Dallas game, in which the Eagles were badly beaten, Owens was seen by ''[[Philadelphia Daily News]]'' reporters wearing a [[Michael Irvin]] throwback football jersey on the way to the Eagles' airplane flight. The Cowboys are the most despised sports team in Philadelphia, and fans viewed this as a slap in the face. According to sources and [[Andy Reid]]'s post-game press conference, none of Owens' teammates or coaches challenged him.  It is well known that Owens and Irvin are good friends.  


The following Friday, on Owens' radio show, he stated he did not care what the [[fan (aficionado)|fan]]s thought of him wearing the jersey and that he would wear what he chooses. Former teammate [[Hugh Douglas]], now employed in the Eagles [[front office]], and as a regular personality on Philadelphia's 610 WIP, also had a personal grudge against Owens for events between them in the pre-season.
===Dallas Cowboys===
On March 14, 2006, the Philadelphia Eagles released Owens. Four days later, on March 18, 2006, Jerry Jones announced that the Dallas Cowboys had signed Owens to a 3-year, $25 million deal, including a $5 million signing bonus, with a $5 million first year salary.


On [[October 26]], [[2005]], the ''[[Philadelphia Inquirer]]'' reported that Terrell Owens put his 5 bedroom [[mansion]] in [[Moorestown Township, New Jersey]] up for sale. His [[publicist]] downplayed the sale, saying Owens was "downsizing" and wanted to move closer to [[Lincoln Financial Field]]. Owens also made a comment on his radio show prior to the Denver game that he and [[Brian Westbrook]] weren't getting the ball enough, even though at that time Owens was tied for the league lead in receptions.
Owens returned to the field during the Cowboys' 2006 season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. While the game ended in a Jaguars victory, Owens recorded 8 receptions for 80 yards and one touchdown. The following week, Owens damaged one of his finger bones, and was forced to leave the game. It was later determined that Owens would require surgery to correct the injury, and require anywhere from two to four weeks to recuperate. Days after Owens promised his fans he would return to play against Philadelphia Eagles, he overdosed on his medication. After a bye week giving him time to recuperate, Owens played in the following game against the Tennessee Titans, where he accounted for 88 receiving yards as well as three touchdowns.


On [[November 3]], [[2005]], Owens made a number of controversial statements during an interview with [[Graham Bensinger]] on [[ESPN]]'s [[SportsRadio]]. When asked whether or not he agreed with a comment made by ESPN analyst Michael Irvin, Owens defended the statement, saying that he thought the Eagles would be undefeated if [[Brett Favre]] were on the team instead of [[Donovan McNabb]]. He also criticized the Eagles organization for not publicly acknowledging his 100th career touchdown catch, and criticized the class and integrity of management while noting that his publicist had talked to the "head PR guy" prior to the milestone game and that they "used an excuse" that they did not recognize it was coming up. He stated that he believed it was a blatant lie, however later developments suggest that Owens misunderstood management regarding the recognition of his milestone game. Later the Eagles stated through a seemingly-subdued Owens during an [http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/PHI/9023319 apology] the following day that they do not recognize individual achievements.
The following week, Owens made his highly anticipated return to Philadelphia, where he played his former teammate, Donovan McNabb. Upon his return, Owens was met by a hail of angry cheers and taunts, including chants of "O.D." throughout the game. Despite pregame talk about a weak Eagles secondary, Owens struggled throughout the game. Owens had three catches for 45 yards, while the Cowboys went on to lose, 38–24.
[[Image: A_owens_195.jpg|left|thumb|325px|Owens with his agent [[Drew Rosenhaus]] prior to Owens' release from the [[Philadelphia Eagles]].]]
Owens was suspended indefinitely on [[November 5]] for conduct detrimental to the team. ESPN also revealed on [[November 6]] that Owens had been involved in a physical fight with team official and former teammate [[Hugh Douglas]] earlier in the week.


Owens's antics and attitude have led one ESPN football analyst to label Owens as a "selfish jerk" on national television for the broadcast between the Eagles and [[Washington Redskins]] on [[November 6]], [[2005]].
After the game, according to a report from a stadium employee at Lincoln Financial Field, Owens ran into the locker room following the 38–24 loss and launched into a tirade, yelling and asking why the Cowboys bothered signing him in the offseason, indicating that they should have thrown the ball towards him more. Owens later confirmed this in a post-practice interview. After the Cowboys defeated the Atlanta Falcons, 38-28, owner Jerry Jones revealed that Owens had injured a tendon on one of his fingers (the same finger that he broke in an unrelated incident a few weeks earlier). The doctors recommended season-ending surgery, but Owens elected to risk permanent damage to his finger and decided to wait until the end of the season to repair the damage. "There's no question about what he's willing to do for his team", Jones said.


During his weekly news conference the following day Eagles head coach Andy Reid said that Owens has been suspended for four games—starting with the 17-10 loss to the Washington Redskins on [[November 6]]—for conduct detrimental to the team. The four games represent the maximum amount of time that a player can be suspended for such conduct under NFL rules. After Owens serves his suspension, the Eagles will deactivate him from their roster for the remainder of the season.[http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/PHI/9029398]  On [[November 8]]th Terrell Owens and his agent [[Drew Rosenhaus]] held a news conference at Owens's residence. Terrell apologized to the team (including Donovan McNabb) and the fans. Rosenhaus was also interviewed but answered most questions with a "next question;" however, he blamed the [[media]] for Owens's current employment status.
Owens led the league in regular season with 13 touchdown receptions. On March 1, 2007, he underwent surgery twice to repair his right ring finger.


Prior to the Eagles game against the Cowboys, in another one of his many own controversial actions, WIP's [[Howard Eskin]] led a mock-[[funeral]] outside [[Lincoln Financial Field]] to lay the Terrell Owens legacy in Philadelphia "to rest". Fans put various Terrell Owens [[memorabilia]] into a [[casket]] and loaded it into a [[hearse]]. Owens and the Cowboys had the last laugh as the Cowboys came from behind to defeat the Eagles, and McNabb suffered a season-ending injury.  
In the 2007 season, Owens and the Cowboys began to live up to their potential. On November 18, Owens set a new career high and tied a franchise record, with four touchdown catches against the Washington Redskins. With his TD catch against Green Bay on November 29, Owens became the first player in NFL history with at least one touchdown catch and six receptions in seven straight games. Also with this win, the Cowboys clinched a playoff berth for the second consecutive season, making this the third time Owens would participate in back-to-back postseasons. Owens was one of the starting wide receivers to represent the NFC in the Pro Bowl along with Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. On January 9, Owens made the All-Pro team along with teammates Jason Witten and DeMarcus Ware. On December 22 in a week 16 game against the Carolina Panthers, Owens caught his 15th touchdown catch of the season to set a new Cowboy record for touchdown catches in a season. During this game, however, Owens suffered a high ankle sprain after making a catch in the second quarter, which kept him out of the rest of the regular season. Owens was leading the league in receiving yards and was 2nd in receiving touchdowns at the time. He finished the season with 81 receptions, 15 touchdowns, and 1,355 receiving yards, as the team finished 13-3 and clinched the NFC's top seed.


On [[November 23]], [[2005]] Terrell Owens' season was effectively ended after an [[arbitrator]] ruled that the [[Philadelphia Eagles|Eagles]] were justified in suspending him for four games and that they do not have to allow him back after the suspension.
Owens returned for the divisional playoff game against the Giants, where he caught four passes for 49 yards and a touchdown. The Cowboys lost the game, however, 21-17 and Owens broke down crying during the post-game press conference in a now-infamous incident.


On [[November 29]], [[2005]], [[United States Senate|Senator]] [[Arlen Specter]] accused the NFL and the Eagles of [http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/PHI/9068398 treating Owens unfairly], and said that he might refer the matter to the Senate's [[United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights|antitrust subcommittee]]. The news came not long after [[Dallas Cowboys]] owner [[Jerry Jones]] had publicly expressed interest in the receiver as a prospective upgrade to the team's receiving corps and as a go-to guy target for quarterback [[Drew Bledsoe]].
In the 2008 Pro Bowl, Owens caught 7 passes for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns in an NFC win. Despite his efforts, Minnesota Vikings rookie running back Adrian Peterson was named MVP.


On [[December 16]], [[2005]] Terrell Owens told the magazine ''[[Gentlemen's Quarterly|GQ]]'' that his teammates didn't want him to play in the Super Bowl last [http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/9100035 February].  He said that he felt disrespected because he worked so hard to get back on the field, adding that if he hadn't played, "...who knows, we would've gotten beat worse."  He also said that he felt that he was being used by the Eagles and wonders if the media is out to get him because while they get entertained by WR [[Chad Johnson]] whenever he does his touchdown dances, they frown on him when he does his touchdown dances. This interview was taken on Oct. 23, one week before he played his last game at Denver, and appeared in the January 2006 issue of ''GQ''.
In the Cowboys second game of the season, the last Monday Night game at Texas Stadium, Owens passed Cris Carter to move to second in touchdowns behind former teammate Jerry Rice.


===2006: A fresh start with Dallas?===
The Cowboys released Owens on March 4, 2009. Owens later said that Jerry Jones had assured him that he would be remaining with the team and that he was blindsided by his release.
On [[March 14]], [[2006]], the Philadelphia Eagles released Owens, rendering him free to play for whatever team will have him. [http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060314/D8GBIQIG0.html]


Four days later, on [[March 18]], [[2006]], Jerry Jones announced that they had signed Terrell Owens to a 3 year, $25 million deal, including a $5 million signing bonus.
==Buffalo Bills==
On March 8, 2009, the Buffalo Bills signed Owens to a 1-year, $6.5 million contract. Owens had his first catch with the Bills when he had a 27-yard play on a 3rd-and-1 in the 25-24 loss to the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. With that catch, he passed former Bills receiver Andre Reed on the all-time Top 20 career leaders list for pass receptions. Owens debuted with 2 catches for 45 yards in the game. Owens caught his first TD pass with Buffalo in a 33-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 20, 2009. Owens had his best game with the Bills in a 15-18 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Owens had 9 receptions for 197 yards and a touchdown. Owens and Ryan Fitzpatrick set a Bills record for longest TD reception when Fitzpatrick connected with Owens for a 98 yard TD. The 98-yard TD reception is Owens' longest TD reception. He also became the oldest player to have a TD reception of 76+ yards (35 years, 350 days).


==NFL Records and Career Notables==
Owens became the sixth player to reach 1,000 receptions in a career. He accomplished this during a game against the Atlanta Falcons from an 8-yard pass from Brian Brohm.
*Only receiver besides [[Jerry Rice]] to have 5 or more seasons with 13 or more receiving TD's in a regular season
*Has had 103 total touchdowns
*Averaged one touchdown per game in [[2001]] and [[2004]]
*Has had six 1,000 yard seasons, including five consecutive ([[2000]]-[[2004]])
*Holds NFL record 20 receptions in a single game
*Reached 100 catches in only 14 games in [[2002]]
*Is tied for second all time in receiving touchdowns on Monday Night Football with seven
* Led League in receiving touchdowns for two consecutive seasons


==Flamboyant celebrations==
==Cincinnati Bengals==
Owens is known for numerous, flamboyant and inflammatory celebrations after scoring [[touchdown]]s. Of particular infamy are the time he danced on the start at Texas Stadium (September 24, 2000) and pulled a sharpie out of his sock to sign a ball (October 14, 2002).
On July 27, 2010, Owens signed a one-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. It was reportedly worth two million dollars, with another two million dollars possible from bonuses. He joined Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco, both of whom lobbied for the Bengals to sign Owens. He received his customary number, #81, given to him by free-agent acquisition wide receiver Antonio Bryant in exchange for an undisclosed sum of money to be donated to a charity of Bryant's choice.


* "You can hate me all you want to, but you can't stop me."
Against the Cleveland Browns in Week 4, he had a spectacular game with 10 receptions, 222 yards and a touchdown of 78 yards on the day. On December 21, Owens was placed on injured reserve, for the first time in his 15-year career. He still managed to lead all Bengals' receivers (including Ochocinco) with receptions (72), yards (983) and touchdowns (9) for the season. However, the Bengals fell from a 10-6 record the year before Owens joined to a 4-12 record with Owens. The Bengals decided not to re-sign Owens for the 2011 season.


==Trivia==
He suffered a torn ACL during the 2011 off-season and underwent surgery in April 2011. According to his agent, he was cleared to play again on October 19. He held a televised workout on October 25, which no NFL teams chose to attend.
* Owens won the celebrity slam-dunk competition at the 2000 NBA All-Star Game.
* Owens is a two-time winner of the 100-yard race at the Superstars competition, which features top athletes in a variety of sports.
* Owens' biography, "Catch This," was on the NY Times "Best Seller" list in 2004.
* Owens ran the fastest recorded electronic 40-yard-dash in NFL history in a blazing 4.19 seconds.
* Owens was the victim of MTV's "Punk'd" in November 2005
* Owens' #81 Eagles jersey is the best-selling NFL jersey.


==NFL year by year statistics==
==Allen Wranglers (IFL)==
{|
On November 2, 2011, the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League announced they had extended a six-figure contract offer to Owens to play for the Wranglers in the 2012 season. On January 18, 2012, Owens announced via Twitter that he had accepted the Wranglers' offer and join their ownership group, with an official press conference to follow the following week. In his debut for the Wranglers, Owens caught three passes for 53 yards and three touchdowns as the Wranglers defeated Wichita Wild 50-30. His stats were 8 games played 35 catches- 420 yards- 52.5 YPG- 12 yards per catch- 45 longest catch- 10 touchdowns. On May 29, 2012, Owens was released.


|- align=center
==Seattle Seahawks==
|Year ||Team ||G ||GS ||Rec ||Yards ||AVG ||LG ||TD
On August 6, 2012, Owens signed a one-year, $925,000 contract with the Seattle Seahawks. On August 26, 2012, Owens announced on his Twitter account that the Seahawks had released him.
|- align=center
|1996 ||SF ||16 ||10 ||35 ||520 ||14.9 ||46 ||4
|- align=center
|1997 ||SF ||16 ||15 ||60 ||936 ||15.6 ||56 ||8
|- align=center
|1998 ||SF ||16 ||10 ||67 ||1097 ||16.4 ||79 ||14
|- align=center
|1999 ||SF ||14 ||14 ||60 ||754 ||12.6 ||36 ||4
|- align=center
|2000 ||SF ||14 ||13 ||97 ||1452 ||15.0 ||69 ||13
|- align=center
|2001 ||SF ||16 ||16 ||93 ||1412 ||15.2 ||60 ||16
|- align=center
|2002 ||SF ||14 ||14 ||100 ||1300 ||13.0 ||76 ||13
|- align=center
|2003 ||SF ||15 ||15 ||80 ||1102 ||13.8 ||75 ||9
|- align=center
|2004 ||PHL ||14 ||14 ||77 ||1200 ||15.6 ||59 ||14
|- align=center
|2005 ||PHL ||7 ||7 ||47 ||763 ||16.2 ||91 ||6
|- align=center
|Tot. ||N/A ||142 ||128 ||716 ||10535 ||14.7 ||91 ||101
|}


*Rushing Totals: 24 attempts 157 yards 6.5 average 2 TDS
Owens was inducted into the [[Alabama Sports Hall of Fame]] in [[2018]].
*Pro Bowl selections: 2000 · 2001  · 2002  · 2003  · 2004 (Total: 5)
*All-[[NFC]] Pro Selections: 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 (Total: 5)
*ALL-[[NFL]] Pro Selections: 2001 · 2002  · 2004 (Total: 3)


==References==
==References==
* [http://www.jockbio.com/Bios/Owens/Owens_bio.html Detailed biography] at Jockbio.com
* [http://www.jockbio.com/Bios/Owens/Owens_bio.html Detailed biography] at Jockbio.com
* "Terrell Owens." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 28 Mar 2006, 01:22 UTC. 28 Mar 2006, 01:26 [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Terrell_Owens&oldid=45787520].
* Terrell Owens. (2014, January 22). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14:42, January 22, 2014, from [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Terrell_Owens&oldid=591814801]  
* Strickland, Susan. (July 28, 2005) "Peace, but no quiet at Amani." {{BN}}
* Aron, Jaime (September 27, 2006) "Police: T.O. tried to kill himself." Associated Press


==External links==
==External links==
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* [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3664 ESPN.com Terrell Owens Profile]
* [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3664 ESPN.com Terrell Owens Profile]


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[[Category:Bar owners|Owens, Terrell]]
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[[Category:Alabama Sports Hall of Fame]]

Latest revision as of 08:14, 7 May 2021

Terrell Owens

Terrell Eldorado Owens (born December 7, 1973, in Alexander City) is a former American football wide receiver who played 15 seasons in the National Football League. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Owens holds or shares several National Football League records, and features in the all-time top-five in several receiving categories, including yards and touchdowns.

As productive as he has been, Owens has been equally controversial, creating firestorms with almost every team he has played for as a professional. Owens played college football and basketball at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and was selected in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Owens was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004 after a spat with 49ers front office members. Two years later, he was released and signed to another large pact by the Dallas Cowboys, only to be given his unconditional release on March 4, 2009. Owens has also played for the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals in 2009 and 2010, respectively. He recently played for the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League, before being released in 2012.

Popularly known by his initials, T.O., Owens is as renowned for his flamboyant touchdown celebrations and public persona as he is for his talent on the field. His actions on and off the field have led to many league fines, as well as frequent penalties for his team.

With his cousin Antonio Minnifield, Owens was a co-owner of Amani Raha, an upscale bar at Dr Pepper Place from 2005 until 2008. Owens was a top-6 finisher in the ABC reality show Dancing with the Stars season 25 in 2017. The competition was won by Birmingham native Jordan Fisher.

Biography

Born into a troubled home in Alexander City, Owens immersed himself in sports from an early age. He was a four-year letterman in football and track at Benjamin Russell High School and also lettered three times in basketball and once in baseball. His high school career was not stellar. He only became a starter for the Wildcats his senior year. He was not heavily recruited and accepted a scholarship offer from Tennessee-Chattanooga because they would allow him to play multiple sports.

Owens played in the 1995 NCAA Tournament in basketball and anchored the school's 4x100 relay team. In football, he wore #80 in honor of his idol, Jerry Rice. As a freshman, Owens was used sparingly by coach Buddy Nix, catching 6 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown. In his sophomore year new head coach Tommy West promoted him to starter. He caught 38 passes for 724 yards and 8 TDs in his second year, including a school record 4 touchdowns against Marshall. Playing for his third coach in three years, Owens anchored the offense during his junior year and caught 58 passes for 836 yards and 6 TDs. He was named to the Southern Conference All-Conference second team. In his senior year Owens faced double coverage every week and was limited to 43 receptions for 666 yards and one touchdown.

San Francisco 49ers

Based as much on his size and speed as on his demonstrated ability, Owens was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 1996 draft as the 89th overall pick. The chance to play alongside Jerry Rice thrilled the rookie. He stayed quiet in practice and made his first impact on special teams, recording three tackles in a game against the Atlanta Falcons.

In the 1997 season, after Jerry Rice went down early in the season with a torn ACL. Owens and quarterback Steve Young helped the 49ers win 13 games. In a 1998 wild-card playoff game against the Green Bay Packers, Owens caught a 25 yard touchdown pass amidst four Packers defenders in the final seconds that lifted the 49ers to a 30-27 victory. This catch became known as "The Catch II" among Niners fans.

The following season the 49ers fell to 4-12. Young retired after the 1999 season and Jeff Garcia was named the starting quarterback. In 2000, although Owens put up very productive individual statistics, the Niners still only managed to win six games. In 2001, the 49ers rebounded to 12-4 before losing to the Packers in the wild card playoff round. By then, Owens was having widely documented feuds with Garcia and head coach Steve Mariucci. Sportswriters reported that Owens would refuse to even speak to the coach. At the conclusion of the 2002 season, Mariucci was fired and replaced by Dennis Erickson. In 2003, the 49ers fell back to 7-9 and Owens continued to criticize Garcia.

While with San Francisco, Owens became notorious for his flamboyant and inflammatory celebrations after touchdowns. Of special note are the times he danced on the start at Texas Stadium (September 24, 2000) and pulled a sharpie out of his sock to sign a ball (October 14, 2002).

Philadelphia Eagles

On March 4, 2004, San Francisco traded Owens to the Baltimore Ravens for a second round pick in the 2004 draft. Owens's contract with the Eagles was reported to be worth $49 million for seven years, including a $10 million signing bonus.

In September 2004, Owens released his autobiography, Catch This! Going Deep with the NFL's Sharpest Weapon. The 288 page book was ghostwritten by Stephen Singular. Owens later admitted in 2005 that he had never actually read his own "autobiography". The book appeared on the New York Times best-seller list briefly.

The 2004 season got off to a great start for the Eagles, who won 13 of their first 14 games with Owens averaging a touchdown catch per game. On December 19, 2004, Owens severely sprained his ankle and fractured a fibula during a home game against the Cowboys, apparently ending his season. The Eagles managed to win their first NFC title since 1980 without Owens. He announced unexpectedly that he intended to play in that year's Super Bowl, even though team doctors were still saying that his injury would take several more weeks to heal. Owens did, in fact, start the game, catching 9 passes for 122 yards in the loss to the Patriots.

In April 2005, Owens hired Drew Rosenhaus as his agent and indicated that he wanted to renegotiate his contract with the Eagles. Owens and Rosenhaus met with Eagles head coach Andy Reid and president Joe Banner, but no agreement was reached, leading Owens to threaten a holdout from training camp until a deal was reached. He did not make good on his threat and did not receive a new contract. He did receive a two-week suspension on August 10, 2005 after a heated exchange with Reid. The Eagles mailed Owens a Notice of Unsatisfactory Work Performance, stipulating expectations for his behavior when he resumed playing August 17.

In a November 3, 2005 interview, Owens said he thought the Eagles would be undefeated if Brett Favre were on the team instead of Donovan McNabb. He also criticized the Eagles organization for not publicly acknowledging his 100th career touchdown catch. Owens was given a 4-game suspension on November 5 for conduct detrimental to the team, which allegedly included a physical fight with a team official. Following the suspension he was deactivated and released from the team. In a later interview, Owens apologized to the team (including McNabb) and fans.

Dallas Cowboys

On March 14, 2006, the Philadelphia Eagles released Owens. Four days later, on March 18, 2006, Jerry Jones announced that the Dallas Cowboys had signed Owens to a 3-year, $25 million deal, including a $5 million signing bonus, with a $5 million first year salary.

Owens returned to the field during the Cowboys' 2006 season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. While the game ended in a Jaguars victory, Owens recorded 8 receptions for 80 yards and one touchdown. The following week, Owens damaged one of his finger bones, and was forced to leave the game. It was later determined that Owens would require surgery to correct the injury, and require anywhere from two to four weeks to recuperate. Days after Owens promised his fans he would return to play against Philadelphia Eagles, he overdosed on his medication. After a bye week giving him time to recuperate, Owens played in the following game against the Tennessee Titans, where he accounted for 88 receiving yards as well as three touchdowns.

The following week, Owens made his highly anticipated return to Philadelphia, where he played his former teammate, Donovan McNabb. Upon his return, Owens was met by a hail of angry cheers and taunts, including chants of "O.D." throughout the game. Despite pregame talk about a weak Eagles secondary, Owens struggled throughout the game. Owens had three catches for 45 yards, while the Cowboys went on to lose, 38–24.

After the game, according to a report from a stadium employee at Lincoln Financial Field, Owens ran into the locker room following the 38–24 loss and launched into a tirade, yelling and asking why the Cowboys bothered signing him in the offseason, indicating that they should have thrown the ball towards him more. Owens later confirmed this in a post-practice interview. After the Cowboys defeated the Atlanta Falcons, 38-28, owner Jerry Jones revealed that Owens had injured a tendon on one of his fingers (the same finger that he broke in an unrelated incident a few weeks earlier). The doctors recommended season-ending surgery, but Owens elected to risk permanent damage to his finger and decided to wait until the end of the season to repair the damage. "There's no question about what he's willing to do for his team", Jones said.

Owens led the league in regular season with 13 touchdown receptions. On March 1, 2007, he underwent surgery twice to repair his right ring finger.

In the 2007 season, Owens and the Cowboys began to live up to their potential. On November 18, Owens set a new career high and tied a franchise record, with four touchdown catches against the Washington Redskins. With his TD catch against Green Bay on November 29, Owens became the first player in NFL history with at least one touchdown catch and six receptions in seven straight games. Also with this win, the Cowboys clinched a playoff berth for the second consecutive season, making this the third time Owens would participate in back-to-back postseasons. Owens was one of the starting wide receivers to represent the NFC in the Pro Bowl along with Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. On January 9, Owens made the All-Pro team along with teammates Jason Witten and DeMarcus Ware. On December 22 in a week 16 game against the Carolina Panthers, Owens caught his 15th touchdown catch of the season to set a new Cowboy record for touchdown catches in a season. During this game, however, Owens suffered a high ankle sprain after making a catch in the second quarter, which kept him out of the rest of the regular season. Owens was leading the league in receiving yards and was 2nd in receiving touchdowns at the time. He finished the season with 81 receptions, 15 touchdowns, and 1,355 receiving yards, as the team finished 13-3 and clinched the NFC's top seed.

Owens returned for the divisional playoff game against the Giants, where he caught four passes for 49 yards and a touchdown. The Cowboys lost the game, however, 21-17 and Owens broke down crying during the post-game press conference in a now-infamous incident.

In the 2008 Pro Bowl, Owens caught 7 passes for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns in an NFC win. Despite his efforts, Minnesota Vikings rookie running back Adrian Peterson was named MVP.

In the Cowboys second game of the season, the last Monday Night game at Texas Stadium, Owens passed Cris Carter to move to second in touchdowns behind former teammate Jerry Rice.

The Cowboys released Owens on March 4, 2009. Owens later said that Jerry Jones had assured him that he would be remaining with the team and that he was blindsided by his release.

Buffalo Bills

On March 8, 2009, the Buffalo Bills signed Owens to a 1-year, $6.5 million contract. Owens had his first catch with the Bills when he had a 27-yard play on a 3rd-and-1 in the 25-24 loss to the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. With that catch, he passed former Bills receiver Andre Reed on the all-time Top 20 career leaders list for pass receptions. Owens debuted with 2 catches for 45 yards in the game. Owens caught his first TD pass with Buffalo in a 33-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 20, 2009. Owens had his best game with the Bills in a 15-18 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Owens had 9 receptions for 197 yards and a touchdown. Owens and Ryan Fitzpatrick set a Bills record for longest TD reception when Fitzpatrick connected with Owens for a 98 yard TD. The 98-yard TD reception is Owens' longest TD reception. He also became the oldest player to have a TD reception of 76+ yards (35 years, 350 days).

Owens became the sixth player to reach 1,000 receptions in a career. He accomplished this during a game against the Atlanta Falcons from an 8-yard pass from Brian Brohm.

Cincinnati Bengals

On July 27, 2010, Owens signed a one-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. It was reportedly worth two million dollars, with another two million dollars possible from bonuses. He joined Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco, both of whom lobbied for the Bengals to sign Owens. He received his customary number, #81, given to him by free-agent acquisition wide receiver Antonio Bryant in exchange for an undisclosed sum of money to be donated to a charity of Bryant's choice.

Against the Cleveland Browns in Week 4, he had a spectacular game with 10 receptions, 222 yards and a touchdown of 78 yards on the day. On December 21, Owens was placed on injured reserve, for the first time in his 15-year career. He still managed to lead all Bengals' receivers (including Ochocinco) with receptions (72), yards (983) and touchdowns (9) for the season. However, the Bengals fell from a 10-6 record the year before Owens joined to a 4-12 record with Owens. The Bengals decided not to re-sign Owens for the 2011 season.

He suffered a torn ACL during the 2011 off-season and underwent surgery in April 2011. According to his agent, he was cleared to play again on October 19. He held a televised workout on October 25, which no NFL teams chose to attend.

Allen Wranglers (IFL)

On November 2, 2011, the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League announced they had extended a six-figure contract offer to Owens to play for the Wranglers in the 2012 season. On January 18, 2012, Owens announced via Twitter that he had accepted the Wranglers' offer and join their ownership group, with an official press conference to follow the following week. In his debut for the Wranglers, Owens caught three passes for 53 yards and three touchdowns as the Wranglers defeated Wichita Wild 50-30. His stats were 8 games played 35 catches- 420 yards- 52.5 YPG- 12 yards per catch- 45 longest catch- 10 touchdowns. On May 29, 2012, Owens was released.

Seattle Seahawks

On August 6, 2012, Owens signed a one-year, $925,000 contract with the Seattle Seahawks. On August 26, 2012, Owens announced on his Twitter account that the Seahawks had released him.

Owens was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.

References

  • Detailed biography at Jockbio.com
  • Terrell Owens. (2014, January 22). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14:42, January 22, 2014, from [1]
  • Strickland, Susan. (July 28, 2005) "Peace, but no quiet at Amani." The Birmingham News
  • Aron, Jaime (September 27, 2006) "Police: T.O. tried to kill himself." Associated Press

External links

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