A few years ago, while he was still with the Philadelphia Eagles (and had a deal worth in the neighborhood of $50 million), Terrell Owens was holding out and had the following to say:
"Currently, I am trying to get Philly to restructure my contract because I feel I've earned a bigger paycheck. It's a team matter, so that is all I will be saying."
Now keep in mind the deal was only in its second year, and while you may hear rough things about the City That Booed Santa Claus (we did!), their sports franchises do not normally use Corleone-ian techniques in contract negotiarions.
But T.O. could never leave anything at "all I will be saying," so he was also quoted as follows:
"If they don't wanna pay me, they can trade me. I'll go to camp, but I'll be unhappy. I gotta feed my family..."
I understand that $50 million doesn't go as far as it used to, but I think it would be a while before Mrs. Owens was serving Ramen noodles.
Last week, Terrell Owens signed with a team in the Indoor Football League, and if we are to believe the article in the latest issue of GQ, a future Hall of Famer who played 15 seasons in the NFL and made at least $80 million, did it for the money. Sadly, Terrell Owens has very little left.
He's broke!
He really does have to worry how to feed his family!
A combination of bad investments, large child support payments, and trusting the wrong people have left Terrell Owens with very little to show for his time as a star player.
"I hate myself for letting this happen," Owens said. "I believed that they had my back when they said, 'You take care of the football, and we'll do the rest.' And in the end, they just basically stole from me."
Terrell Owens is ready to play football again. He says he's completely recovered from the knee injury that required surgery last summer, works out three hours a day to keep that physique he's famous for and even has a stack of shoe boxes filled with new cleats waiting by the door of his Los Angeles condo.
"I'm ready," Owens said. "They may not be ready for me, but me: I'm ready."
Owens, 38, has the second-most receiving yards in NFL history, and might have been the best ever at his position. I could make the argument. Sadly, Owens talent was overshadowed by his behavior off the field, but within the boundaries of the sport. Seen as showboating egomaniac who was a great player but known to be a terrible teammate, becoming a force of disruption and distraction on three teams (San Francisco, Philadelphia, Dallas). While he seemed to have grown up in Buffalo and Cincinnati, his reputation has followed him and no team seems to want him playing for them.
"They, you, need a bad guy," Owens said, referring to the media. "I think people change, but the media, they never allowed me to change. They never allowed me to be a better person."
Owens insists he has a few more playing years left in him. "I will be here next year," he said. "I'll be fit and healthy and ready to play."
