Teammates feel relief after seeing Owens
By RICK HERRIN
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
IRVING - Terrell Owens walked into Valley Ranch on Wednesday after his long ordeal with a huge smile on his face.
That's all his teammates needed to see.
Amid the reports T.O. had attempted suicide, his teammates didn't believe it. Not the T.O. they have come to know.
"You've got to understand," linebacker Bradie James said, "Eighty-one loves himself too much to even think about something like that. Let's be realistic now."
Cowboys nose tackle Jason Ferguson, who often playfully chides Owens, was worried about his teammate all morning. Ferguson called his wife on his way to Valley Ranch troubled by the reports that T.O. might have attempted suicide. Instead, Owens had an adverse reaction to pain medication (for his broken hand) and supplements.
"I was just hoping he was OK," Ferguson said. "Whatever the situation was I was just happy to see him come through the door. He came through with a big smile and I said, 'Are you cool.' I said, 'I'm glad you're here.'"
Owens' teammates couldn't comprehend the possibility of a suicide attempt. That wasn't a possibility for the player his teammates have been around since he arrived in Dallas.
The players said coach Bill Parcells did not address them about Owens' situation before Owens arrived at Valley Ranch. Patrick Crayton said he and the remaining receivers had to get re-focused before practice because of the stunning news.
"It's just a shock," Crayton said. "When we first heard the news it was kind of a shock to your system; it was like hearing about a loved one. We're more than just teammates around here sometimes."
By mid afternoon, Owens was playing catch with quarterback Drew Bledsoe and the controversy didn't appear to be much of a distraction. The Cowboys are simply hoping he can get back on the field as soon as possible from his broken right hand, which appeared noticeably swollen Wednesday.
"We went out and played a little and I was happy to see him here," Bledsoe said. "I was concerned when I heard some of the speculation. I was happy to see him come in."
Many of the players weren't surprised to see Owens not long after he had been released from Baylor Medical Center in Dallas around noon. They also continue to contend Owens has not been a distraction.
"If I didn't see him today, then I would start believing what I heard," Ferguson said.
Defensive end Marcus Spears just wanted to know if T.O. was all right with everything he was hearing. He also knew the suicide possibilities couldn't be true, especially since he was out of the hospital the following day.
"I think if a guy was trying to commit suicide he wouldn't be at work the next day," Spears said. "I didn't think that was the case and it ended up not being the case."
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