Terrell Owens Biography

Terrell Owens was a flamboyant wide receiver of the National Football League (NFL) from 1996 to 2011. Owens was drafted into the NFL by the San Francisco 49ers (1996) after an outstanding career at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. “T.O.” proved himself as an ambitious and speedy receiver in the 1997 season, taking over for the injured Jerry Rice. A few rocky years later, however, he left the 49ers in an ugly separation and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004. Eagles fans loved his athleticism and appreciated his ability to score, but Owens soured the honeymoon by demanding more money and complaining openly about teammates. Picked up by Dallas in 2006, he continued to be one of the top receivers in the game and one of the more famous — or infamous — players in the NFL. His stats as a player were often overlooked because of his tendency to grab the spotlight and not let go. Owens was fined repeatedly for “excessive celebration” after scoring and disciplined by teams and the league several times, including a $35,000 fine in 2006 for spitting in the face of an opponent (D’Angelo Hall of the Atlanta Falcons). His fans loved his bravura, his critics hated his bravado. Dallas let him go in the spring of 2009, but he was picked up almost immediately by Buffalo and played for one season. After playing one season for the Cincinatti Bengals, he was let go in 2011. By 2012, he in debt and playing for the Indoor Football League.