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Terrell Owens (a.k.a. “T.O.”) was both one of the best and most entertaining players in the NFL in the late 1990s and 2000s, and he figured out plenty of ways to rile people up over the course of his career—including the strange scene that unfolded in his driveway during his time with the Eagles.
Owens was always a sight to behold on the football field, but his behavior off of it was just as big of a draw.
The six-time Pro Bowler who told the world to “Get your popcorn ready” after joining the Cowboys in 2006 gave fans plenty of reasons to cook up a batch on a regular basis thanks to the drama he was able to generate by crying about his quarterback, celebrating a touchdown by signing the football with a Sharpie, and holding his own ceremony after being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
The man was always ready to put on some sort of show and mastered the art of making himself the center of attention while playing the media like a fiddle when it came to achieving that goal. He knew how to turn heads and attract eyeballs, and that’s exactly what he was able to do with the impromptu press conference he held at his home in 2005.
Nothing captures the essence of Terrell Owens like the time he held a workout in his driveway
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Owens made his debut with the Eagles in 2004 but suffered a major setback when he broke his leg during a game against the Cowboys in the middle of December. While that would’ve been a season-ending injury for most people, the WR was somehow able to get to a point where he was able to suit up for Super Bowl XXXIX against the Patriots.
Things took a turn in the offseason when T.O. hired Drew Rosenhaus to become his agent and informed the franchise he wanted to renegotiate his contract ahead of the 2005 campaign.
That sparked the start of a saga that was overflowing with drama, as Owens fired some shots at Eagles QB Donovan McNabb while pleading his case and threatened to skip training camp. While he did ultimately report for preseason practices, it wasn’t without incident.
On August 10, 2005, Owens was essentially suspended from training camp for a week after getting into it with Eagles head coach Andy Reid. The WR was nursing a groin injury at the time, and while he and the rest of the receiving corp were scheduled to sign autographs for fans, Owens apparently felt it made more sense for him to use that time to seek treatment for the lingering ailment.
However, Reid disagreed with that assertion, and after trading words with Owens, he supposedly ordered the star to spend the next seven days at home while warning him “Make sure you stay in shape.”
Well, it’s safe to say Owens took that advice to heart.
The press was aware Reid had given Owens the boot, but details were still murky when the news initially broke. As a result, a number of intrepid reporters headed to the latter’s home in the hopes of getting some more information when he got back from camp, which led to the WR creating a bit of a spectacle in his driveway while taking some jabs at Reid over his parting comment.
When the media began to pepper him with questions about the suspension, he started working out to show he was following orders. It’s kind of like when you begrudgingly listen to your parents when they tell you to do something when you’re a kid; you do it, but you figure out a way to do it that will annoy the hell out of them.
I can’t help but respect the level of pettiness that was on display here. I can’t blame Reid for telling him to leave, but this is just a masterclass in trolling from a man who pounced on the golden opportunity he found himself presented with.
Owens may not have really been the victim, but he did a fantastic job positioning himself as one while cementing himself as the incredibly amusing player he’ll be remembered as.