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For all his skills—and you would need a box of Sharpies to list them—Terrell Owens is better known for his antics outside the white lines than his accomplishments between them. Inappropriate touchdown celebrations (and even more inappropriate pre-game promotions), whining that he doesn’t see the ball enough, and forcing the hand of management with threats and demands, none of this has earned him the admiration of fans. But if they knew of his tortured past and hard road to the NFL, Terrell might just win their hearts and shed the label of football’s most misunderstood star. This is his story…GROWING UP
Terrell Eldorado Owens was born December 7, 1973, in Alexander City, Alabama. Terrell was the first son to his mother, Marilyn Heard. Only 17 at the time, she was the product of a dysfunctional family herself. Most of Marilyn's childhood was spent in fear and silence. Marilyn's mother, Alice, was cruel to her children, raising them in a confined environment with little love or support. Marilyn wasn't allowed to play with other children, and had to come home directly after school. If she didn't, she would pay the price in welts and bruises.
A man named L.C. Russell lived across the street with his wife and kids. Russell was 14 years older than Marilyn, but that didn't matter to either. She craved love and human contact, and he became the father of Terrell. Despite the awkward situation, Russell stayed in the neighborhood with his family.
Marilyn tried to keep her pregnancy a secret from her mother and stepfather, but could only do so for only so long. One night Marilyn's younger sister ran away to live with an aunt. She remained at home with Terrell, who was just a baby.
After Terrell, Marilyn had a girl named Latasha. She was married to the infant's father for a brief time. Then in the early 80's came two more babies—Sharmaine and Victor—fathered by another man.
Terrell often stayed with his grandmother Alice. She was as hard on him as she was on Marilyn. Alice gave him a bike but he could only ride it in the yard. Terrell was permitted no spare time with his friends and couldn't watch TV. He was also whipped regularly. For all the abuse, however, Terrell loved Alice, viewing her as a second mother.
When Terrell was young, Alice's marriage fell apart and she began drinking heavily. The youngster often had to take care of her until she sobered up. One time Alice was so intoxicated, she put her purse in the oven and burned up all her money. Ironically, Alice seemed to lighten up as her alcohol problem worsened. She even bought Terrell a go-cart, which they would drive on the highway.
When Terrell turned 12, he befriended a girl across the street. Her father noticed and confronted him, warning Terrell that the girl was actually his half-sister. Thus the youngster learned who his father was.
To escape his tortured home life, Terrell became immersed in sports. Basketball, baseball and swimming were his favorites. He also loved football, idolizing San Francisco star Jerry Rice. He played despite stark opposition from Alice. Marilyn, by contrast, supported her son completely, knowing sports made him happy.
Marilyn bounced from job to job, and often found herself back in Alice’s house with Terrell. Her other children hated it there, however, so she eventually moved with them into a beat-up two-bedroom home. Terrell stayed with Alice because there simply wasn’t room for him in the cramped dwelling.
Terrell’s athletic career began to blossom when he entered Benjamin Russell High School in the fall of 1988. During his career, he lettered four times in football and track. Plus he accumulated three letters in basketball and one in baseball. Terrell actually didn't start for the football team until his senior year. He even thought about quitting the sport, but his coaches talked him out of it. They say great talent in him, even if he didn’t yet.
Tall, lanky and exceedingly fast, Terrell had the skills to play Division I football. But recruiters were slow to scout him. In fact, many got their first look at him only because they were watching teammates who were also excellent prospects. Few schools pursued Terrell as aggressively as the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The coaches there had no problem with Terrell becoming a multi-sport star. For the teenager, the opportunity to compete in more than one sport at the college level was a major selling point.
ON THE RISE
With the Moccasins, Terrell flashed every last bit of his athletic ability. He lined up at forward on the basketball team for three years, including five starts for the UTC squad that qualified for the NCAA tournament in 1995. In his senior year, he anchored the school’s 4x100 relay team.
It was on the gridiron, however, where Terrell truly distinguished himself. An explosive receiver, he wore number 80 in honor of his hero, Rice. In his freshman year, he was used sparingly as a backup. In six games in 1992, Terrell caught six passes for 97 yards and a touchdown. When the Mocs finished 2-9, head coach Buddy Nix was shown the door.
Tommy West was hired to replace to Nix the following season, but didn’t have a whole lot to work with. One thing the new coach discovered was Terrell’s gamebreaking ability.The soph emerged as a starter, seeing time in all of UTC’s 11 games. For the season, he hauled in 38 passes for 724 yards and eight touchdowns. His biggest day came against Marshall, when he set a school record with four TDs. The Moccasins improved to 4-7, but just 2-6 in the Southern Conference. That wasn’t enough to save West’s job.
Brought in to lead the team in 1994 was Buddy Green. Priority #1 for him was strengthening UTC’s porous defense. Green, however, could only do so much. The Mocs struggled again, posting a record of 3-8. Like West, Green learned to get the ball in Terrell’s hands as often as possible. The junior developed into UTC’s main offensive weapon, pulling down 58 receptions for 836 yards and six touchdowns. He also carried the ball four times out of the backfield for 35 yards. His performance earned him second-team All-Southern Conference honors.
Heading into the 1995 season,Green focused his offensive game plan around Terrell. For the first time in college career, he would be returning kickoffs, and he remained the primary target in the passing attack. But enemy defenses were ready for Terrell, regularly blanketing him with double-coverage.
The increased attention paid to Terrell resulted in a decline in his receiving numbers. In turn, the Mocs suffered without their star receiver controlling the action, finishing at 4-7.While Terrell's stats—43 receptions for 666 yards and a touchdown—were more than respectable, they didn’t wow anyone in the pro ranks.
Terrell figured to be drafted, but didn’t know how high he would go.
At 6-3 and more than 200 pounds, he had the size to play in the NFL. Speed wasn’t an issue, either. Terrell had honed his running technique on the track, and was also a handful to bring down after the reception. Working against him was the conference he played in, and the quality of competition he faced.
Jerry Rice, 1991 Pro Set
Among the teams interested in Terrell were the San Francisco 49ers. A year earlier they had traded up to pick J.J Stokes out of UCLA. But when his development stalled, San Francisco was again in the market for a receiver to bracket Pro Bowler Jerry Rice. For Terrell, the thought of taking the field with his hero—not to mention quarterback Steve Young—was almost too much to hope for. When the 49ers tabbed him in the third round as the 89th pick overall, he could barely contain his excitement.
San Francisco entered 1996 campaign looking to recapture past glory. George Seifert remained the head coach, and back in the fold in the front office was Bill Walsh. Putting points on the board wasn’t going to be a problem. Shutting down opponents didn’t appear to be one, either. Bryant Young was among the league’s best on the defensive line, and Tim McDonald and Merton Hanks were solid at the safety positions.
Terrell came into training camp as a shy rookie. He took advice from Rice and other veterans, but didn't get involved with his teammates much beyond that. Working hard and biding his time, Terrell waited for the chance to prove himself on the field. Early on, he made his biggest impact on special teams. Against the Atlanta Falcons in September he recorded a season-high three tackles.
His opportunity on offense presented itself when Stokes went down with an injury. In his first start, in October game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Terrell caught four passes for 94 yards, including 45-yard touchdown to tie game late in fourth quarter. From there, he grew more comfortable and developed into a valuable contributor. Over San Francisco’s final 10 games, he posted 32 receptions for 488 yards and four touchdowns. By the campaign’s end, he was second on the team to Rice in catches and receiving yards.
The Niners finished second in the NFC West at 12-4, despite a rocky year by Young, who suffered two concussions. In the playoffs, however, they were quickly dismissed by the Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers.
Off San Francisco’s disappointing post-season performance, the team continued to transform itself. Seifert retired, and was replaced by Steve Mariucci. With Young turning 36 and Rice soon to celebrate his 35th birthday, age was the enemy of the new head coach. To take pressure off the passing game, the Niners signed running back Garrison Hearst. On defense, the front seven remained formidable, while the secondary was no better than average.
When Rice and Young got nicked up on the season’s opening Sunday, it looked like San Francisco would be in for a long year. But Terrell was one of several players to step up in their absence. The team jumped out to a 4-1 record with the help of the league’s top defense—not to mention four touchdown catches from Terrell. By November, he had become the Niners’ #1 receiver. Following in the footsteps of Rice, Terrell was usually most dangerous after the catch. For the year, he almost doubled his rookie numbers with 60 receptions for 936 yards and eight touchdowns.
San Francisco surged to a 13-3 record, good for first in the NFC West. In the playoffs, they faced off against Minnesota, drubbing the Vikings 38-22. The trio of Terrell, Rice and Stokes easily matched the production of Randy Moss, Cris Carter and Josh Reed. A week later, the Niners again ran smack into the Packers, losing 23-10 in the NFC Championship Game. It was their fifth defeat in the last four years versus Green Bay. Terrell did all he could, catching six balls for 100 yards.
Terrell Owens, 1996 Crown Royal
The team’s hopes were sky high in preparation for the 1998 campaign. Rice returned, and Mariucci promised to open up the passing attack. Defensively, Dana Stubblefield left via free agency, but Young and Junior Bryant were still a terrific duo up front. In the defensive backfield, R.W. McQuarters, San Francisco’s first-round pick from Oklahoma State, looked to settle in at one of the corners.
The 49ers were unstoppable to begin the season. With blowout wins in their first two games, they ranked first in the NFL in rushing and passing. Terrell was leading the way, literally and figuratively. Off to the best start of his career, he escorted Hearst into the end zone on a 96-yard touchdown run for an OT victory over the New York Jets. Two months later, he burned the other Big Apple team, as the Niners rolled to a 31-7 shellacking of the Giants. Terrell hauled in a 79-yard touchdown pass, while Hearst rushed for 166 yards. The victory pushed San Francisco to 9-3, securing their 16th straight winning season.
The 49ers headed into December in a dogfight with Atlanta for the division title. Terrell did his part with a TD reception in each of his last eight games, but the Falcons held on for first place in the NFC West. That set up a playoff matchup with nemesis Green Bay. The situation grew desperate as the Packers seized a fourth-quarter lead. Trailing 27-23. Young guided the Niners downfield, and with three seconds left he crouched under center for a final snap from the Packers' 25-year-line. After tripping over a teammate’s foot, he spotted Terrell near the goal line and fired a strike. Terrell got hammered as the ball reached him and somehow managed to hold on to deliver a thrilling 30-27 win.
San Francisco next travelled to Atlanta. In one play their Super Bowl aspirations were crushed. Indeed, when Hearst was felled by a broken left fibula, the 49ers were stripped of their best runner. The Falcons, in turn, eked out a 20-18 victory.
Topping San Francisco’s 1999 to-do list was finding Hearst’s replacement. The team signed running backs Charlie Garner and Lawrence Phillips, and also added Charles Haley to bolster the defense. But age and injuries continued to wear down the 49ers. Young was out with a series of concussions, and Rice’s yards-per-catch dipped to a career low. When Mariucci was forced to turn to a pair of young quarterbacks, Jeff Garcia and Steve Stenstrom, the team fell apart. After a 3-1 start, the Niners dropped eight straight, and ended with a dismal 4-12 record.
Terrell suffered through the year like the rest of the team. At 60 receptions for 754 yards and four touchdowns, his stats dropped in all areas. And with Young announcing his retirement, Terrell realized he would have to develop chemistry with a new starting quarterback, most likely Garcia.
Terrell Eldorado Owens was born December 7, 1973, in Alexander City, Alabama. Terrell was the first son to his mother, Marilyn Heard. Only 17 at the time, she was the product of a dysfunctional family herself. Most of Marilyn's childhood was spent in fear and silence. Marilyn's mother, Alice, was cruel to her children, raising them in a confined environment with little love or support. Marilyn wasn't allowed to play with other children, and had to come home directly after school. If she didn't, she would pay the price in welts and bruises.
A man named L.C. Russell lived across the street with his wife and kids. Russell was 14 years older than Marilyn, but that didn't matter to either. She craved love and human contact, and he became the father of Terrell. Despite the awkward situation, Russell stayed in the neighborhood with his family.
Marilyn tried to keep her pregnancy a secret from her mother and stepfather, but could only do so for only so long. One night Marilyn's younger sister ran away to live with an aunt. She remained at home with Terrell, who was just a baby.
After Terrell, Marilyn had a girl named Latasha. She was married to the infant's father for a brief time. Then in the early 80's came two more babies—Sharmaine and Victor—fathered by another man.
Terrell often stayed with his grandmother Alice. She was as hard on him as she was on Marilyn. Alice gave him a bike but he could only ride it in the yard. Terrell was permitted no spare time with his friends and couldn't watch TV. He was also whipped regularly. For all the abuse, however, Terrell loved Alice, viewing her as a second mother.
When Terrell was young, Alice's marriage fell apart and she began drinking heavily. The youngster often had to take care of her until she sobered up. One time Alice was so intoxicated, she put her purse in the oven and burned up all her money. Ironically, Alice seemed to lighten up as her alcohol problem worsened. She even bought Terrell a go-cart, which they would drive on the highway.
When Terrell turned 12, he befriended a girl across the street. Her father noticed and confronted him, warning Terrell that the girl was actually his half-sister. Thus the youngster learned who his father was.
To escape his tortured home life, Terrell became immersed in sports. Basketball, baseball and swimming were his favorites. He also loved football, idolizing San Francisco star Jerry Rice. He played despite stark opposition from Alice. Marilyn, by contrast, supported her son completely, knowing sports made him happy.
Marilyn bounced from job to job, and often found herself back in Alice’s house with Terrell. Her other children hated it there, however, so she eventually moved with them into a beat-up two-bedroom home. Terrell stayed with Alice because there simply wasn’t room for him in the cramped dwelling.
Terrell’s athletic career began to blossom when he entered Benjamin Russell High School in the fall of 1988. During his career, he lettered four times in football and track. Plus he accumulated three letters in basketball and one in baseball. Terrell actually didn't start for the football team until his senior year. He even thought about quitting the sport, but his coaches talked him out of it. They say great talent in him, even if he didn’t yet.
Tall, lanky and exceedingly fast, Terrell had the skills to play Division I football. But recruiters were slow to scout him. In fact, many got their first look at him only because they were watching teammates who were also excellent prospects. Few schools pursued Terrell as aggressively as the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The coaches there had no problem with Terrell becoming a multi-sport star. For the teenager, the opportunity to compete in more than one sport at the college level was a major selling point.
ON THE RISE
With the Moccasins, Terrell flashed every last bit of his athletic ability. He lined up at forward on the basketball team for three years, including five starts for the UTC squad that qualified for the NCAA tournament in 1995. In his senior year, he anchored the school’s 4x100 relay team.
It was on the gridiron, however, where Terrell truly distinguished himself. An explosive receiver, he wore number 80 in honor of his hero, Rice. In his freshman year, he was used sparingly as a backup. In six games in 1992, Terrell caught six passes for 97 yards and a touchdown. When the Mocs finished 2-9, head coach Buddy Nix was shown the door.
Tommy West was hired to replace to Nix the following season, but didn’t have a whole lot to work with. One thing the new coach discovered was Terrell’s gamebreaking ability.The soph emerged as a starter, seeing time in all of UTC’s 11 games. For the season, he hauled in 38 passes for 724 yards and eight touchdowns. His biggest day came against Marshall, when he set a school record with four TDs. The Moccasins improved to 4-7, but just 2-6 in the Southern Conference. That wasn’t enough to save West’s job.
Brought in to lead the team in 1994 was Buddy Green. Priority #1 for him was strengthening UTC’s porous defense. Green, however, could only do so much. The Mocs struggled again, posting a record of 3-8. Like West, Green learned to get the ball in Terrell’s hands as often as possible. The junior developed into UTC’s main offensive weapon, pulling down 58 receptions for 836 yards and six touchdowns. He also carried the ball four times out of the backfield for 35 yards. His performance earned him second-team All-Southern Conference honors.
Heading into the 1995 season,Green focused his offensive game plan around Terrell. For the first time in college career, he would be returning kickoffs, and he remained the primary target in the passing attack. But enemy defenses were ready for Terrell, regularly blanketing him with double-coverage.
The increased attention paid to Terrell resulted in a decline in his receiving numbers. In turn, the Mocs suffered without their star receiver controlling the action, finishing at 4-7.While Terrell's stats—43 receptions for 666 yards and a touchdown—were more than respectable, they didn’t wow anyone in the pro ranks.
Terrell figured to be drafted, but didn’t know how high he would go.
At 6-3 and more than 200 pounds, he had the size to play in the NFL. Speed wasn’t an issue, either. Terrell had honed his running technique on the track, and was also a handful to bring down after the reception. Working against him was the conference he played in, and the quality of competition he faced.
Jerry Rice, 1991 Pro Set
Among the teams interested in Terrell were the San Francisco 49ers. A year earlier they had traded up to pick J.J Stokes out of UCLA. But when his development stalled, San Francisco was again in the market for a receiver to bracket Pro Bowler Jerry Rice. For Terrell, the thought of taking the field with his hero—not to mention quarterback Steve Young—was almost too much to hope for. When the 49ers tabbed him in the third round as the 89th pick overall, he could barely contain his excitement.
San Francisco entered 1996 campaign looking to recapture past glory. George Seifert remained the head coach, and back in the fold in the front office was Bill Walsh. Putting points on the board wasn’t going to be a problem. Shutting down opponents didn’t appear to be one, either. Bryant Young was among the league’s best on the defensive line, and Tim McDonald and Merton Hanks were solid at the safety positions.
Terrell came into training camp as a shy rookie. He took advice from Rice and other veterans, but didn't get involved with his teammates much beyond that. Working hard and biding his time, Terrell waited for the chance to prove himself on the field. Early on, he made his biggest impact on special teams. Against the Atlanta Falcons in September he recorded a season-high three tackles.
His opportunity on offense presented itself when Stokes went down with an injury. In his first start, in October game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Terrell caught four passes for 94 yards, including 45-yard touchdown to tie game late in fourth quarter. From there, he grew more comfortable and developed into a valuable contributor. Over San Francisco’s final 10 games, he posted 32 receptions for 488 yards and four touchdowns. By the campaign’s end, he was second on the team to Rice in catches and receiving yards.
The Niners finished second in the NFC West at 12-4, despite a rocky year by Young, who suffered two concussions. In the playoffs, however, they were quickly dismissed by the Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers.
Off San Francisco’s disappointing post-season performance, the team continued to transform itself. Seifert retired, and was replaced by Steve Mariucci. With Young turning 36 and Rice soon to celebrate his 35th birthday, age was the enemy of the new head coach. To take pressure off the passing game, the Niners signed running back Garrison Hearst. On defense, the front seven remained formidable, while the secondary was no better than average.
When Rice and Young got nicked up on the season’s opening Sunday, it looked like San Francisco would be in for a long year. But Terrell was one of several players to step up in their absence. The team jumped out to a 4-1 record with the help of the league’s top defense—not to mention four touchdown catches from Terrell. By November, he had become the Niners’ #1 receiver. Following in the footsteps of Rice, Terrell was usually most dangerous after the catch. For the year, he almost doubled his rookie numbers with 60 receptions for 936 yards and eight touchdowns.
San Francisco surged to a 13-3 record, good for first in the NFC West. In the playoffs, they faced off against Minnesota, drubbing the Vikings 38-22. The trio of Terrell, Rice and Stokes easily matched the production of Randy Moss, Cris Carter and Josh Reed. A week later, the Niners again ran smack into the Packers, losing 23-10 in the NFC Championship Game. It was their fifth defeat in the last four years versus Green Bay. Terrell did all he could, catching six balls for 100 yards.
Terrell Owens, 1996 Crown Royal
The team’s hopes were sky high in preparation for the 1998 campaign. Rice returned, and Mariucci promised to open up the passing attack. Defensively, Dana Stubblefield left via free agency, but Young and Junior Bryant were still a terrific duo up front. In the defensive backfield, R.W. McQuarters, San Francisco’s first-round pick from Oklahoma State, looked to settle in at one of the corners.
The 49ers were unstoppable to begin the season. With blowout wins in their first two games, they ranked first in the NFL in rushing and passing. Terrell was leading the way, literally and figuratively. Off to the best start of his career, he escorted Hearst into the end zone on a 96-yard touchdown run for an OT victory over the New York Jets. Two months later, he burned the other Big Apple team, as the Niners rolled to a 31-7 shellacking of the Giants. Terrell hauled in a 79-yard touchdown pass, while Hearst rushed for 166 yards. The victory pushed San Francisco to 9-3, securing their 16th straight winning season.
The 49ers headed into December in a dogfight with Atlanta for the division title. Terrell did his part with a TD reception in each of his last eight games, but the Falcons held on for first place in the NFC West. That set up a playoff matchup with nemesis Green Bay. The situation grew desperate as the Packers seized a fourth-quarter lead. Trailing 27-23. Young guided the Niners downfield, and with three seconds left he crouched under center for a final snap from the Packers' 25-year-line. After tripping over a teammate’s foot, he spotted Terrell near the goal line and fired a strike. Terrell got hammered as the ball reached him and somehow managed to hold on to deliver a thrilling 30-27 win.
San Francisco next travelled to Atlanta. In one play their Super Bowl aspirations were crushed. Indeed, when Hearst was felled by a broken left fibula, the 49ers were stripped of their best runner. The Falcons, in turn, eked out a 20-18 victory.
Topping San Francisco’s 1999 to-do list was finding Hearst’s replacement. The team signed running backs Charlie Garner and Lawrence Phillips, and also added Charles Haley to bolster the defense. But age and injuries continued to wear down the 49ers. Young was out with a series of concussions, and Rice’s yards-per-catch dipped to a career low. When Mariucci was forced to turn to a pair of young quarterbacks, Jeff Garcia and Steve Stenstrom, the team fell apart. After a 3-1 start, the Niners dropped eight straight, and ended with a dismal 4-12 record.
Terrell suffered through the year like the rest of the team. At 60 receptions for 754 yards and four touchdowns, his stats dropped in all areas. And with Young announcing his retirement, Terrell realized he would have to develop chemistry with a new starting quarterback, most likely Garcia.
