Terrell Owens

Infobox NFLactive


caption=
currentteam=Dallas Cowboys
currentnumber=81
currentposition=Wide receiver
birthdate=birth date and age|1973|12|7
birthplace=Alexander City, Alabama
heightft=6
heightin=3
weight=218
debutyear=1996
debutteam=San Francisco 49ers
college=Tennessee-Chattanooga
draftyear=1996
draftround=3
draftpick=89
pastteams=
* San Francisco 49ers (1996-2003)
* Philadelphia Eagles (2004-2005)
* Dallas Cowboys (2006-present)
status=Active
highlights=
* 6x All-Pro selection (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007)
* 6x Pro Bowl selection (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007)
* NFL Record receptions in a single game (20)
statweek=4
statseason=2008
statlabel1=Receptions
statvalue1=899
statlabel2=Receiving Yards
statvalue2=13,334
statlabel3=Receiving average
statvalue3=14.8
statlabel4=Receiving TDs
statvalue4=133
nfl=OWE755129

Terrell Eldorado Owens (pronEng|ˈtɛɹl̩) (born December 7, 1973) is an American football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. Popularly known by his initials, T.O., Owens has established himself as one of the NFL's most productive and outspoken players. [ [http://biography.jrank.org/pages/2816/Owens-Terrell.html Terrell Owens Biography - Played Multiple Sports in High School and College, Courted Controversy, Set New Records ] ] Prior to playing with the Cowboys, he played for the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers. Owens played college football and basketball at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Early life

Terrell Owens was born to Marilyn Heard and L.C. Russell in Alexander City, Alabama. He grew up with three other siblings and was raised by his mother and maternal grandmother. His favorite player was Jerry Rice. However, Owens’ grandmother initially forbade him from playing sports until high school. Owens attended Benjamin Russell High School, where he excelled in football, baseball and basketball. Owens has a cousin, Steven Black, who plays for the University Of Memphis. Owens encouraged Steven to go to Memphis because the school's coach, Tommy West, was at Chattanooga during his college career. [JockBio.com, [http://www.jockbio.com/Bios/Owens/Owens_bio.html Terrell Owens Biography] , Retrieved on November 12, 2007.]

College career

While enrolled at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Owens played basketball and ran track. Owens also had the opportunity to play at the 1995 NCAA Basketball Tournament. Outside of basketball, Owens also played football. While playing in college, Owens wore the #80 jersey to honor his idol, Jerry Rice.http://www.nflplayers.com/players/player.aspx?id=24058 NFLPLayers.com. Retrieved January 7 2007.] He was not a distinguished athlete at first, but managed to make a breakthrough after becoming a starter during his sophomore year. Owens caught 38 passes for 724 yards and eight touchdowns during his sophomore year, and 32 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns during his junior year. Owens faced double coverage every week during his senior year, and was limited to 43 receptions for 666 yards and one touchdown. Owens previously held the single season receptions record at Tennessee-Chattanooga until it was broken in 2007 by Alonzo Nix.

Professional career

an Francisco 49ers

Based as much on his size and speed as on his demonstrated ability, Owens was drafted by the NFL's San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft. Owens played his first professional game against the Atlanta Falcons, where he served as a member of the 49ers special teams.

In the 1997 NFL season, Owens became a big name for the 49ers, when 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 wild-card playoff game the next year, after dropping a number of passes, Owens redeemed himself by catching a game-winning touchdown against the Green Bay Packers for a 30-27 comeback victory.

The following season was a disaster for the 49ers, as they fell from grace to a 4-12 record. Young retired after the 1999 season, and Jeff Garcia was named the 49ers starting quarterback. In 2000, the 49ers only managed to win six games. However, Owens had a record-breaking day on December 17, 2000 with 20 catches for 283 yards versus the Chicago Bears. This single-game reception total surpassed the 50-year-old mark held by Tom Fears.

The 2001 49ers managed to capture a 12-4 record but were defeated by the Green Bay Packers during a wild-card game. The team's success was hampered by Owens' feuds with Garcia and 49ers head coach Steve Mariucci. Those feuds were temporarily put aside during the 2002 season when the 49ers surged to win the NFC Western division and earned a home playoff date against the New York Giants. In that game the 49ers produced the second-greatest comeback in NFL playoff history by coming back from a 24 point deficit (14-38) and winning 39-38 behind notable performances from Garcia and Owens. Although the team lost its subsequent game to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the season had been successful. Still, that did not prevent ownership from firing Mariucci after the season's conclusion.

Following a subpar team season in 2003, Owens decided to leave the 49ers. Immediately after breaking off all ties to the 49ers, Owens appeared in an interview for "Playboy" magazine, where he created controversy after insinuating that Garcia was homosexual.Fact|date=September 2008

Although Owens was eager to leave the 49ers, the 49ers asserted that Owens' previous agent, David Joseph, had missed the deadline to void the final years of his contract with the 49ers. Owens and Joseph disputed this assertion, contending that the deadline referred to by the 49ers was not the applicable deadline. On March 4, 2004, San Francisco, believing it still held Owens' rights, attempted to trade Owens to the Baltimore Ravens for a second round pick in the 2004 draft. However, Owens challenged the 49ers' right to make the deal. Owens assumed that he would become a free agent on March 3, and did not believe that the earlier deadline was applicable. So he negotiated with other teams in advance of his expected free agency, and reached a contract agreement with the Philadelphia Eagles, whose fan base strongly supported Owens in his desire to play for the team. The NFL Players Union filed a grievance on his behalf.

Before an arbitrator could make a ruling on Owens' grievance, 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 conditional fifth-round pick and defensive end Brandon Whiting from the Eagles in exchange for the rights to Owens. Owens' contract with the Eagles was reported to be worth $49 million for seven years, including a $10 million signing bonus.

In September 2004, Terrell Owens released a purported autobiography: "Catch This! Going Deep with the NFL's Sharpest Weapon". The 288-page book was ghostwritten by Stephen Singular.

Philadelphia Eagles

The 2004 season got off to a great start for the Eagles, who won each of their first seven and 13 of their first 14 games; as well as for Owens, who averaged a touchdown catch per game before his injury. Owens gained a tremendous amount of popularity throughout the league, especially among the Eagles fan base. On December 19, 2004, Owens sustained a severely sprained ankle and a fractured fibula when Dallas Cowboys safety Roy Williams committed a horse-collar tackle against him, before the technique was made illegal. Owens' injury was one of the major reasons that the horse-collar tackle was prohibited.

With the Eagles heading to Super Bowl XXXIX, Owens shocked the media by announcing he would play no matter what, even though team doctors stated that his injury would take several more weeks to heal. Owens' trainer, James "Buddy" Primm helped bring Owens back much sooner with the use of Micro Current and a Hyperbarric Chamber. Skeptics were silenced when Owens started the game and played well; the result was 9 receptions and 122 yards, though the Eagles still lost to the New England Patriots. After the game, Owens criticized the media by saying that a player like Brett Favre would have been praised for such bravery.

On April 2005, Owens announced that he had hired a new agent, Drew Rosenhaus, and indicated that he would seek to have his contract with the Eagles renegotiated. Owens made $9 million in 2004 (most of which being bonus money as his base salary was only $660,000), [ [http://asp.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/salaries/playerdetail.aspx?lname=owens&player=1762 USA TODAY Salaries Database] ] and was slated to make $3.5 million in 2005. This two year amount did not place Owens in the top 10 paid wide receivers playing. He also caused considerable controversy with a comment to the effect that he "wasn't the guy who got tired in the Super Bowl", the remark, thought by most, to be directed at Donovan McNabb, caused a controversy between them to heat up. Owens has always claimed the remark was not directed towards McNabb, but in regard to his obsessive diet and workout programs. On July 1, Owens' relationship with the Eagles became even more tense after Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and club president Joe Banner denied Owens permission to play basketball in a summer league under the auspices of the NBA's Sacramento Kings. [Pasquarelli, Len. [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=pasquarelli_len&id=2098709 Justs say no, Eagles are saying publicly] . "ESPN.com", July 5 2005. Retrieved 2008-02-14.]

Owens' contract controversy heated up as training camp drew nearer. Owens, with the negotiating help of Rosenhaus, continued to lobby for a new contract. Owens and Rosenhaus met with Eagles head coach Andy Reid and president Joe Banner, but no agreement was reached. (This was in line with the Eagles' policy against contract renegotiations.) Owens threatened to hold out of training camp until a deal was reached, but he reported to camp on time. When the 2005 football season began, Owens was in the second year of a seven-year, $49 million contract. However, the contract was heavily back loaded, and while the $49 million figure was routinely touted by the sports media as an example of Owens' greed, the money guaranteed to him was under the annual average for a top-tier wide receiver.

During the season, Owens continued to voice his displeasure. After more remarks about Eagles management and Donovan McNabb, Owens was suspended four games without pay and then deactivated for the rest of the season. (See "Controversy Section.") The next season, Owens was released by the Philadelphia Eagles franchise and eventually signed with the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas Cowboys

On March 14, 2006, the Philadelphia Eagles released Owens. [ [http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/PHI/9307695 Owens is finally released by Eagles] , "NFL.com", March 14, 2006. Retrieved December 20 2006.] Four days later, on March 18, 2006, Jerry Jones announced that the Dallas Cowboys had signed Terrell 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 (See "Controversy Section"). 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 a total of 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 chanting "O.D." throughout the game. [Willis, George. [http://www.nypost.com/seven/10092006/sports/not_the_t_o__show_sports_george_willis.htm Not the T.O. show] , "New York Post", October 9, 2006. Retrieved December 20 2006.] In fact, when Owens dropped a pass during the pregame warmups, the Eagles fans cheered. 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 a tirade yelling and asking why the Cowboys bothered signing him in the offseason. [ [http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/DAL/9716821 T.O. won't get a new QB versus Houston] , "NFL.com", October 9, 2006. Retrieved December 20 2006.] 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. [ [http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/sports/16259923.htm T.O.'s finger injury likely permanent, Jones says] - "The Philadelphia Inquirer", 2006-12-17] On January 10, 2007, it was announced that Owens fired his publicist, Kim Ethridge. The explanation given was that the two shared some ``harsh words.``ref> [http://nflbiz.blogspot.com/2007/01/terrell-owens-fires-kim-etheredge.html Terrell Owens Fires Kim Etheredge; Harsh Words] , "nflbusinessblog.com", January 10, 2007. Retrieved January 10 2007.]

Owens led the league in regular season with thirteen touchdown receptions. [http://www.nfl.com/stats/leaders/NFL/RECTDS/2006/regular] On March 1, 2007, he underwent surgery twice to repair his right ring finger. [http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/DAL/10020152]

In the 2007 season, Owens and the Dallas 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 Redskins. With his TD catch against Green Bay on November 29, Owens became the first player in NFL history with at least 1 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 first time he will participate in back-to-back post seasons. 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 2nd 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 1355 receiving yards.

Owens returned for the divisional playoff game against the Giants, where he caught 4 passes for 49 yards and a touchdown despite losing the game 21-17.

In the pro bowl Terrell Owens caught 8 passes for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns in an NFC win. Despite his efforts, Adrian Peterson was named MVP.

In May 2008, Owens said he "definitely" wants to finish his career in Dallas and enter the Hall of Fame as a Cowboy. [cite news |work=Dallas Morning News |title=T.O. on ... The future |url=http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/05/to-on-the-future.html]

On June 2, 2008 The Dallas Cowboys agreed to terms with wide receiver Terrell Owens on a four-year contract. The contract is reportedly worth 34 million dollars for Owens, who will turn 35 in December 2008 and is entering his third season with the Cowboys. Owens will receive $12.9 million to sign and $100,000 of his $830,000 2008 base salary is guaranteed, which equals to over $13 million guaranteed. [cite news |work=ESPN |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3423170 |title=Cowboys give Owens new 4-year, $34 million deal] The new deal will run through the 2011 season.

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. Owens has been frustrated early in the season with his lack of catches. However, he did catch the game-winning touchdown in Week 5 versus the Bengals.

Controversy

Controversy with Eagles

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. 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. Irvin was a hall-of-fame wide receiver for the Cowboys during the '90s when the Cowboys-Eagles rivalry was perhaps the most intense.

As a result, Owens' appearance in the jersey was seen as provocative in the Philadelphia press and by many fans. According to sources and Andy Reid's post-game press conference, none of Owens' teammates or coaches challenged him. The following Friday, on Owens' radio show, he stated he did not care what the fans thought of him wearing the jersey and that he would wear what he chooses. It is well known that Owens and Irvin are good friends.

On November 3, 2005, Hugh Douglas, former Philadelphia Eagles Defensive End, acting as an ambassador for team management, started to have an argument with Owens in front of the team in the locker room before practice. Soon, this led to a short fight between the two. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2215718 Owens-Douglas fistfight contributed to suspension] . "ESPN.com", November 7 2005. Retrieved 2008-02-14.]

That afternoon Owens made a number of controversial statements during an ESPN interview. In the interview, Owens voiced his frustrations of the Eagles not recognizing his 100th career TD. He referred to the Eagles as a classless organization for the way they behaved. The Eagles have since stated that the Club does not recognize individual achievements.

When asked whether or not he agreed with a comment made by ESPN analyst and good friend Michael Irvin, Owens agreed to the statement, saying that he thought the Eagles would be undefeated if Brett Favre were on the team instead of Donovan McNabb. Owens went on to expand on the point, calling Brett Favre a warrior. Many people took offense at this, since it appeared as though Owens was claiming that McNabb, who was playing with a sports hernia among other injuries, was not a warrior. This interview effectively ended Owens' career in Philadelphia.

During his weekly news conference the following day, Eagles head coach Andy Reid said that Owens had 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 represented the maximum amount of time that a player could be suspended without pay for such conduct under NFL rules. After Owens served his suspension, the Eagles deactivated him from their roster for the remainder of the season, so that they wouldn't be forced to release him and let him sign on with another team. [ [http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/PHI/9029398 Eagles say Owens won't return this season] , "NFL.com", November 7, 2005. Retrieved December 20 2006.]

On November 8, Terrell Owens and his agent Drew Rosenhaus held a news conference at Owens' Moorestown, New Jersey residence. Terrell apologized to the team (including Donovan McNabb) and the fans. After Owens read his statement, Rosenhaus answered questions from reporters. However, Rosenhaus answered many questions, such as "What have you done for T.O. besides get him suspended?" with a "next question." He blamed the media for Owens' current employment status. In his autobiography, "T.O.", Owens did state that most of the apology was forced upon him and not sincere.

On the grounds that deactivation cannot be used as a means of punishment, the NFLPA and Owens appealed the Eagles punishment to an arbitrator. On November 23, 2005, Terrell Owens' season was effectively ended after arbitrator Richard Bloch ruled that the Eagles were justified in suspending him for four games and that they did not have to activate him after the suspension (the Eagles would deactivate him game by game, with pay, for the final five games of the season, but that so long as he was paid, he was not technically suspended). The NFLPA subsequently said they would make sure Bloch never arbitrated with them again.

"Desperate Housewives" skit

On November 15, 2004, Owens, wearing a Philadelphia Eagles uniform, appeared with popular TV actress Nicollette Sheridan (of the ABC series "Desperate Housewives") in an introductory skit which opened that evening's "Monday Night Football" telecast, in which Owens and the Eagles played the Cowboys at Texas Stadium. Some observers condemned the skit as being sexually suggestive because of Sheridan removing a towel (see video [http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2656474] ), and ABC later apologized for airing it. However, on March 14, 2005, the Federal Communications Commission ruled that the skit did not violate decency standards, because it contained no outright nudity or foul language.

2006 Hydrocodone overdose

Some media outlets in Dallas reported on the morning of September 27, 2006 that Owens had tried to kill himself by intentionally ingesting an overdose of hydrocodone, a pain medication.Archer, Todd. [http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/092706spoowens.1e22584a.html T.O.: 'There was no suicide attempt] , "Dallas Morning News", September 27, 2006. Retrieved December 20 2006.] A police report filed on the night of September 26 [ [http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0927061owens1.html Terrell Owens Suicide Attempt] , "The Smoking Gun", September 27, 2006. Retrieved December 20 2006.] seemed to confirm the attempt, saying that Owens' publicist, Kim Etheridge, found him unresponsive with an empty bottle of pain killers, pried two pills from his mouth, and called 9-1-1, after which an ambulance transported him four blocks from his Deep Ellum condo to the hospital.

According to the police report, Owens and Etheridge both said he was depressed, and Owens answered "yes" when asked whether he had intended to harm himself. Owens' publicist, however, refuted the report, stating that Owens had suffered an allergic reaction to the medication combined with a dietary supplement. ESPN reported that about half the police report was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose." [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2604395 Owens refutes report, says he didn't attempt suicide] , "ESPN.com", September 28, 2006. Retrieved December 20 2006.]

Owens left the hospital later on September 27. At a news conference after his release, Owens denied having made a suicide attempt, stating that he expected to join the team for practice the next morning. He stated that he was "not depressed" and was "very happy to be here", and denied that doctors had pumped his stomach, calling speculation to that effect "definitely untrue."cite news | url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/ny-spowens0928,0,691077.story?coll=sns-ap-health-headlines&track=mostemailedlink | title=Owens denies suicide try | publisher=Newsday | date=September 27, 2006 | first=Bob | last=Glauber] The press conference took place after Owens had run routes and caught passes with the Cowboys at the team's practice facility in Valley Ranch.

Owens' publicist lashed out at the police and said they took advantage of him. Notably, Owens himself made no such statements, and at his press conference praised both the police and medical personnel who treated him. Following the publicist's statement, the president of the Dallas Police Association (which represents rank-and-file police officers in Dallas) demanded an apology from Owens and his publicist saying "The officers reacted because they were called to this location to do this job. Now they’re being put under a microscope by some fancy little football person. Give me a break. Those officers are 10 times better than this man. ... We police officers don’t go out to these calls and make stuff up.". [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15046254/ T.O. Returns to Practice] , "MSNBC", September 28, 2006. Retrieved December 20 2006.] Then on Thursday, September 28, the Dallas Police Department reported the incident to be an "accidental overdose" and ended their investigation.Aaron, Jamie. [http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/09/28/sports/s165854D84.DTL Police Say Owens Accidentally Overdosed] , Associated Press, September 28, 2006. Retrieved December 17 2006.]

Hall of Fame Wide Receiver Michael Irvin defended his friend Terrell Owens on ESPN, telling viewers "when you buy pills you put half in the draw" because "that's what you do when you buy pills."

pitting incident

After the December 16 2006 game against the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall claimed that Owens spat in his face after a play early in the game. Game officials and reporters were unaware of the incident and Owens was not asked about it until his post-game interview with the NFL Network, when he confirmed it.Pasquarelli, Len. [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2700089 Hall: 'I lost all respect for the guy'] , ESPN.com, December 17, 2006. Retrieved December 17, 2006.] Owens said, "I got frustrated and I apologize for that. It was a situation where he kept hugging me and getting in my face. He had a lot of words, I didn't. I just wanted to come and prove I’m not a guy to be schemed with." Hall says that he has lost all respect for Owens. [ [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16245325/ Hall, T.O. friendship now all wet] , "MSNBC", December 17, 2006. Retrieved December 17, 2006.] The NFL fined Owens $35,000 for the incident. [ [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,237257,00.html NFL Fines Dallas Cowboys' Terrell Owens $35,000 for Spitting on Opponent] , "FoxNews.com", December 18, 2006. Retrieved December 20 2006.] Within a week of the incident, Deion Sanders served as a mediator for Owens and Hall, and the two reportedly "made up."

Bill Parcells Retirement

On May 15, 2007, to begin the Dallas Cowboys' spring mini-camp under new head coach Wade Phillips, Terrell Owens was questioned by ESPN about what he learned during his one-season experience with former head coach Bill Parcells. T.O. was reported to have said, "Nothing, really." [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2870411 ESPN - Owens happy with change to coach Phillips - NFL ] ] Afterwards, Owens and other team mates had high praise for Phillips, seeming to forget about Parcells quickly. "Everybody knows he's a laid-back coach, obviously a little different than Bill. ... I don't think you have to be a disciplinarian to get your point across", Owens said. "I think having a new head coach is good for everybody. It's a little bit more relaxed. I think you can tell that by the atmosphere in the locker room. I don't think I just have to really spell it out for you, but I think it's very evident."

Touchdown Celebrations

Owens is known for his flamboyant celebrations after scoring touchdowns, some of which have resulted in fines by the NFL front office.

Celebrations for San Francisco

* While playing the Atlanta Falcons on January 9, 1999, Owens caught a long touchdown pass and proceeded to mimic the "dirty bird", the Falcons’ signature touchdown dance. However, Owens performed a slashing of the throat gesture at the end of the dance, which quickly silenced the crowd.
* On September 24, 2000 in Dallas, Terrell Owens showed off his excitement after his two touchdown catches by running from the endzone to midfield and celebrating on the Dallas Cowboys' famous star logo. The second time Owens made a trip to the star, then Cowboys safety George Teague hit him during the celebration. Teague would be ejected for his actions, while Owens was suspended for a week by his head coach and was fined $24,000 which was equal to a week's pay. The celebration and subsequent hit were named one of the ten most memorable moments in the history of Texas Stadium by ESPN in 2008. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=luksa_frank&page=hotread1/luksa ] ]
* During a "Monday Night Football" game against the Seattle Seahawks on October 14, 2002, Owens pulled a Sharpie marker out of his sock to sign the football he caught to score a touchdown, and then gave the ball to his financial adviser, who was in the stands. He was fined for this stunt. [ [http://espn.go.com/nfl/news/2002/1015/1446494.html Holmgren calls incident 'shameful ... a dishonor'] , "ESPN.com", October 15, 2002. Retrieved December 20, 2006.]
* On December 15, 2002, in a home game against the Green Bay Packers, Owens scored a touchdown and ran to a row of cheerleaders beyond the endzone. He reached out and asked to borrow two pompoms from a 49ers cheerleader, which he then playfully shook, doing his own brief spontaneous routine before dropping them to the ground.
* On November 17, 2003, the 49ers hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers in a Monday night game, and Owens wore a wristband with the words "The Answer" emblazoned on it. Just over eight minutes into the game, he caught a 61-yard touchdown pass from Tim Rattay (who was starting at quarterback because Jeff Garcia was injured), and excitedly pointed to the wristband after reaching the end zone to draw attention to it. After the game (won by San Francisco 30-14), Owens was asked by a sideline reporter the significance of the slogan on the wristband, and he replied: "Because I am The Answer." "The Answer" is the widely known nickname of NBA star guard Allen Iverson.

Celebrations for Philadelphia

* The "Bird Dance", "The Bird" or "Wing Flap" became T.O.'s trademark dance with the Eagles. During the 2004 season, the Birdheadz (The Original 'Ol Head, Whey Cooler and DJ Holland) a local Philadelphia group came up with a song named "Flying with the Birdz, Do the Bird". The Birdheadz first came up with it during the Eagles 2003 playoff run. T.O. did the "Bird Dance" frequently during the 2004 season after a big play or TD. After the Super Bowl in '04, New England players did a version of the "Bird Dance" with their celebrations.
* He imitated and mocked the trademark pre-game ritual dance of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis after scoring a touchdown while playing against the Ravens in the 2004 season.
* After catching a touchdown from Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb during a game in Cleveland, Owens ran through the end zone and tore down a hand-made sign which read, "T.O. has B.O.".
* After scoring his 100th career touchdown in Philadelphia, he pulled a towel from his waist, folded it over his arm, and then placed the football in the palm of his hand, holding it over his shoulder and pretending to serve it up to the opposing team like a waiter would present a meal.
* After scoring a touchdown against the Chicago Bears in 2004, Owens celebrated by doing six sit-ups in the end zone, one for each touchdown he had scored at that point in the 2004 season.

Celebrations for Dallas

* After catching a touchdown against the Washington Redskins on November 5, 2006, Owens pretended to take a nap, using the football as a pillow. The Cowboys were penalized 15 yards for "excessive celebration". Days before the game, Owens was reported to have a habit of falling asleep during team meetings.
* On the Thanksgiving Day game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 23, 2006, Owens, after catching a pass for a touchdown, dropped the ball in an oversized Salvation Army Red Kettle, donating the ball to the Salvation Army. (Since 1997, the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game halftime show has traditionally started the Salvation Army's Red Kettle Christmas Campaign.) About the touchdown celebration, Owens was quoted as saying, "That was my donation. I hope it's worth as much as the fine." [Orsborn, Tom. [http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/stories/MYSA112406.1C.FBN_cowboys_gamer.31baf82.html Cowboys QB Romo ties mark in win over Buccaneers] , San Antonio Express-News, November 24, 2006. Retrieved December 17 2006.]
* On December 16, 2006, Owens first introduced his trademark "T.O." symbol with his arms after scoring his second touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons. It has since become a frequent celebration after Owens scores.
* On September 16, 2007, Owens mocked Bill Belichick after catching a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins, by hiding behind a field goal post and holding the football to his face in a video camera fashion, as if secretly spying and filming the game. The Cowboys were penalized 15 yards for "excessive celebration". [http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/recap;_ylt=Al.bz.U3o0u2FrOHCUZEKoJDubYF?gid=20070916015&prov=ap] On September 19, 2007, the league fined Owens $7,500 for the celebration. [http://www.star-telegram.com/332/story/240665.html] According to Owens, he was only fined because he used the ball as a prop. [http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Atc.WZyNMm_LCoaGWAxm3WRDubYF?slug=ap-tofined&prov=ap&type=lgns]
*On November 4, 2007 against his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles, Owens flapped his wings, mimicking the dance he did while with the Eagles. This, coupled with Owens' tumultuous stay with the Eagles and his current tenure with the Cowboys (an Eagles division rival), earned the boos of the crowd. [http://www.star-telegram.com/332/story/292354.html] Prior to the game, Owens was quoted as saying, "There's a lot of love in those boos." [http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=14353]
*On September 7, 2008 Owens celebrated his first touchdown of the 2008 NFL Season against the Cleveland Browns by preparing himself like an olympic sprinter ready to explode out of the blocks. FOX Sports play by play man Joe Buck suggested the celebration may be homage to the Olympics and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. The Cowboys were penalized 15 yards for "excessive celebration". [http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/09/07/to-makes-like-usain/]

NFL records and career notables

* Has 137 total touchdowns (134 receiving), 13,401 receiving yards, 901 receptions, and 183 rushing yards [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=1056 ESPN Player Card] , "ESPN.com". Retrieved November 19 2007.]
* Averaged one touchdown per game in 2001, 2004, and 2007
* Has had eight 1,000 yard seasons, including five consecutive (2000–2004)
* Holds NFL record 20 receptions in a single game against the Bears [http://www.nfl.com/history/randf/records/indiv/receiving Individual Records: Receiving] , "NFL Record and Fact Book, NFL.com". Retrieved January 7 2007.]
* Reached 100 catches in only 14 games in 2002
* Led League in receiving touchdowns in 2001, 2002, and 2006 [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/statistics?stat=score&sort=rec&league=nfl&season=2&year=2006 ESPN NFL Scoring Stats] , "ESPN.com". Retrieved January 7 2007.]
* Second all-time in receiving touchdowns behind Jerry Rice [cite web |url=http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap?game_id=29559&displayPage=tab_recap&season=2008&week=REG2&override=true |title=In shootout, Cowboys get key defensive stop to edge rival Eagles |accessdate=2008-10-01 |date=2008-09-16 |publisher=NFL.com]

Other works

Owens is depicted in a photographic work by contemporary African-American artist Hank Willis Thomas entitled "Liberation of T.O.: Ain't no way I'm go'n in back ta'work fa'massa in dat darn field" (2004). The work was featured in "Frequency", the Studio Museum in Harlem's 2006 exhibition of emerging artists. [Brockington, Horace. [http://www.nyartsmagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4934&Itemid=203 Wavelength?] . "NYArts", March/April 2006. Retrieved January 7 2007.]

Owens rapped in a single titled "I'm Back", available for download on his website [http://www.terrellowens.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=18&products_id=93] .

Outside of his football career, Owens also appeared in various commercials, television shows, and films. Owens played himself, as a wide receiver wearing #82 for the fictional Miami Sharks, in the 1999 film "Any Given Sunday". [cite web |work=IMDb.com |title="Any Given Sunday" full credits |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0146838/fullcredits] In 2003 he appeared in a commercial for the ESPY Awards where he caught a home run ball from Barry Bonds in McCovey Cove. [cite news |work=The Detroit News |last=Kupelian |first=Vartan |coauthors=Mike O'Hara |url=http://www.detnews.com/2005/lions/0510/31/C02-365910.htm |date=2005-10-30 |accessdate=2006-12-17 |title=Garcia was Wing for a day in ESPN spot] Owens appeared in an episode of "Punk'd", starring Ashton Kutcher, which is based on his November 19, 2005 suspension. [ [http://www.terrellowens.com/media/news.php?newsid=41 Terrell Owens Official Website - Terrell Owens Image & Video Gallery Message Board ] ]

In 2006, Owens wrote "Little T Learns to Share", a children's' book which encourages children to share.

Owens appeared in the 2008 NBA All-Star celebrity game (wearing number 81) and scored 18 points including a dunk, the first in the game. He also became the MVP of the game, despite showing up in the middle of the second quarter missing about 12 minutes. His team was down by as much as 10 before he came but ended up winning, 51-50.

In August 2008, Owens was featured in the pilot episode of the web series FACETIME, on My Damn Channel. He and Three 6 Mafia interview each other in the episode. [http://www.mydamnchannel.com/facetime/FACETIME/TerrellOwensThree6Mafia_869.aspx ]

Beginning in September 2008 Terrell Owens will be the co-host of [http://www.insidethehuddle.com "Inside The Huddle"] , a one-hour player commentary show along with wide receiver Sam Hurd. The show is broadcast LIVE Tuesday nights from 7:30 - 8:00pm (central time) from the House of Blues in Dallas on the KLLI- LIVE 105.3fm radio station in Dallas and regionally on Time Warner Cables ESPN2 and Video on Demand service.

References

External links

* [http://www.terrellowens.com/ Official Website]
* [http://lb.dallascowboys.com/team_bios.cfm?playerID=15919FAB-E029-FD44-2E9DFBD9E87173F9 Dallas Cowboys bio]

Persondata
NAME = Owens, Terrell Eldorado
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = T.O
SHORT DESCRIPTION = American athlete
DATE OF BIRTH = December 7, 1973
PLACE OF BIRTH = Alexander City, Alabama, United States
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =