Terrell Owens facts for kids
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Owens in 2017
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| No. 81 | |||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | December 7, 1973 Alexander City, Alabama, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 224 lb (102 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Benjamin Russell (Alexander City, Alabama) |
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| College: | Chattanooga (1992–1995) | ||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1996 / Round: 3 / Pick: 89 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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Terrell Eldorado Owens (born December 7, 1973), also known as "T.O.", is a former professional football player. He was a wide receiver for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Many people consider Owens one of the best wide receivers ever. He ranks third in NFL history for career receiving yards and touchdowns.
Owens played college football for the Chattanooga Mocs. The San Francisco 49ers picked him in the third round of the 1996 NFL draft. He played for the 49ers for seven seasons. In 2004, he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. Two years later, he joined the Dallas Cowboys for three seasons. Owens also played one season each for the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals. Later, he played in the Indoor Football League (IFL) for the Allen Wranglers in 2012. He last played professionally in Fan Controlled Football (FCF) in 2022.
Owens was chosen for the Pro Bowl six times and was a first-team All-Pro five times. He was also known for his exciting touchdown celebrations. In 2018, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Terrell Owens was born in Alexander City, Alabama. He grew up with his mother, grandmother, and three siblings. His grandmother did not let him play sports until high school.
Owens went to Benjamin Russell High School. There, he played football, baseball, track, and basketball. He did not become a starter on his high school football team until his junior year. This happened when a teammate got sick and missed a game.
College Sports Career
Owens attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He played basketball, football, and ran track. He even played in the 1995 NCAA basketball tournament.
He became a starter in football during his second year. In his sophomore year, Owens caught 38 passes for 724 yards and eight touchdowns. In his junior year, he had 34 catches for 357 yards and three touchdowns. By his senior year, teams often used two defenders on him. This limited him to 43 catches for 667 yards and one touchdown. Owens also ran on the school's 4 × 100 relay team at the NCAA championship. He played in the Senior Bowl, an all-star game for college seniors, to prepare for the NFL Draft.
Professional Football Journey
San Francisco 49ers Years
The San Francisco 49ers drafted Owens 89th overall in the third round of the 1996 NFL draft. He played his first professional game on special teams against the New Orleans Saints. Owens caught his first touchdown pass on October 20 against the Cincinnati Bengals. It was a 45-yard pass from Steve Young. He finished his first season with 35 catches for 520 yards and four touchdowns.
In the 1997 NFL season, the 49ers' top receiver, Jerry Rice, got injured. Owens stepped up and took his place. He helped the 49ers win 13 games that season. He finished with 936 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
In 1998, Owens had his first season with over 1,000 receiving yards. He caught 67 passes for 1,097 yards and 14 touchdowns. In a playoff game against the Green Bay Packers, Owens struggled early. But he made up for it by catching the game-winning touchdown. This helped the 49ers win 30–27.
On December 17, 2000, Owens had an amazing game against the Chicago Bears. He caught 20 passes for 283 yards, setting a new record. He ended that year with 97 catches for 1,451 yards and thirteen touchdowns. Owens continued to have strong seasons with the 49ers, including 93 catches for 1,412 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2001. In 2002, he had 100 catches for 1,300 yards and 13 touchdowns.
His final season with the 49ers was 2003. He finished with 80 catches for 1,102 yards and nine touchdowns.
Joining the Philadelphia Eagles
Owens wanted to leave the 49ers. After some disagreements about his contract, the NFL and the teams reached a deal. On March 16, 2004, Owens was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. His contract with the Eagles was worth about $49 million over seven years.
On December 19, 2004, Owens got a bad ankle sprain and a broken bone in his leg. This happened when Dallas Cowboys player Roy Williams tackled him. Doctors said Owens would miss the rest of the season. However, the Eagles made it to Super Bowl XXXIX. Owens worked hard to recover and played in the Super Bowl against his doctors' advice. He had nine catches for 122 yards, but the Eagles lost to the New England Patriots.
In 2005, Owens wanted a new contract with the Eagles. This caused some tension with the team. He also made comments that some thought were critical of his quarterback, Donovan McNabb. On November 2, Owens had an argument with a team ambassador. Two days later, the Eagles suspended Owens for "conduct detrimental to the team." He was later suspended for four games and deactivated for the rest of the season. The Eagles released Owens on March 14, 2006.
Time with the Dallas Cowboys
On March 18, 2006, the Dallas Cowboys signed Owens to a 3-year, $25 million deal. He returned to play in the Cowboys' first game of the 2006 NFL season. Owens caught eight passes for 80 yards and one touchdown.
He broke his finger while blocking in the second game. Doctors suggested surgery that would end his season. But Owens chose to keep playing and wait until after the season to fix it. He led the league with 13 touchdown catches that year.
In the 2007 season, Owens and the Cowboys played very well. On November 18, Owens caught four touchdown passes against the Washington Redskins, a new career high. He also became the first NFL player with at least one touchdown catch and six receptions in seven straight games. Owens was chosen to represent the NFC in the Pro Bowl. He set a new Cowboys record with 15 touchdown catches in a season. He finished the season with 81 catches, 15 touchdowns, and 1,355 receiving yards. The Cowboys finished 13–3 and were the top team in their conference.
Owens played in the divisional playoff game against the New York Giants. He caught four passes for 49 yards and a touchdown. However, the Cowboys lost the game 21–17. Owens was very emotional after the loss.
The Cowboys released Owens on March 4, 2009.
Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals
On March 8, 2009, the Buffalo Bills signed Owens for one year. He caught his first touchdown pass with Buffalo in a 33–20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Owens had his best game with the Bills against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He had nine catches for 197 yards and a touchdown. He and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick set a Bills record with a 98-yard touchdown catch. This was also Owens' longest career touchdown. He finished his season with Buffalo with 55 catches for 829 yards and 5 touchdowns.
On July 27, 2010, Owens signed a one-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. He joined Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson, who wanted him on the team. In Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns, he had a great game with ten catches, 222 yards, and a 78-yard touchdown. On December 21, Owens was placed on injured reserve for the first time in his 15-year career. He still led all Bengals' receivers with 72 catches, 983 yards, and 9 touchdowns that season. The Bengals did not re-sign Owens for the 2011 season.
Later Football Leagues
After the NFL, Owens played for the Allen Wranglers in the Indoor Football League (IFL) in 2012. In his first game, he caught three passes for 53 yards and three touchdowns. However, he was released on May 29, 2012, for not showing enough effort.
On August 6, 2012, Owens signed with the Seattle Seahawks. But he was released on August 26, 2012, before the season started.
In 2017, Owens played as a team captain in the first game for the new American Flag Football League. In 2018, he was briefly on the negotiation list for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He also worked out for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
In 2022, Owens signed with Fan Controlled Football (FCF). He played for the Zappers and later for the Knights of Degen. In late 2022, there was talk about a possible NFL return, but no deal happened.
Famous Touchdown Celebrations
During his career, Owens was known for his exciting celebrations after scoring touchdowns. Some of these celebrations even led to fines from the NFL.
49ers Celebrations
- On September 24, 2000, in Dallas, Owens ran to the middle of the field twice after scoring. He stood on the Dallas Cowboys' star logo. The second time, Cowboys player George Teague tackled him, starting a fight between the teams. Teague was ejected, and Owens was suspended for a week.
- On October 14, 2002, during a game against the Seattle Seahawks, Owens pulled a Sharpie marker from his sock. He signed the football he caught for a touchdown and gave it to his financial adviser. The league later made a new rule banning players from carrying "foreign objects" on the field.
Eagles Celebrations
- The "Bird Dance" was Owens' special dance with the Eagles. He would flap his arms like a bird after big plays or touchdowns.
- Owens also copied the pre-game dance of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis after scoring a touchdown against the Ravens in 2004.
Cowboys Celebrations
- On Thanksgiving Day in 2006, Owens caught a touchdown pass. He then dropped the ball into a giant Salvation Army Red Kettle. He said it was his donation.
- On September 16, 2007, Owens made fun of coach Bill Belichick. After a touchdown, he hid behind a goal post and held the football to his face like a video camera. This was a joke about a spying scandal. The Cowboys were penalized 15 yards for "excessive celebration."
- On November 4, 2007, against his old team, the Philadelphia Eagles, Owens did his "Bird Dance" again. This made the crowd boo him. After the game, Owens said, "There's a lot of love in those boos."
Other Work and Appearances
Owens has appeared in various commercials, TV shows, and movies. He played himself in the 1999 film Any Given Sunday. In 2003, he was in a commercial for the ESPY Awards. He also appeared on the TV show Punk'd.
He starred in a reality show on VH1 called The T.O. Show, which followed his personal life. Owens also appeared in the NBA All-Star celebrity game twice, winning MVP both times. In 2017, Owens competed on Dancing with the Stars and The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars.
In May 2018, Owens was featured on the cover of the "Hall of Fame" edition of Madden NFL 19. He is also a big bowler. Owens has won Chris Paul's CP3 PBA Celebrity Invitational twice, in 2016 and 2021.
Images for kids
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Owens in 2017
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Owens (81) with the Eagles talking to a coach.
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Owens in August 2007
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Owens in July 2008
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Owens (middle) with Chad Ochocinco before a game against the New England Patriots in September 2010.
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Owens with Byron Scott as coaches in a celebrity basketball game in 2016
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Owens at Greg Newsome's Celebrity Softball Game in 2023
