Whether you loved him or hated him, you couldn’t ignore Terrell Owens.
Regarded as one of the most talented wide receivers of all time, his Hall of Fame career was often overshadowed by ego-driven behaviour and outrageous antics.
T.O. was known for his flamboyant touchdown celebrations, which are sometimes cited more than the catches themselves.
And while his on-field antics would get under the skin of opposition players, and there were also suggestions that he divided his own locker rooms too.
Owens, who played 15 seasons for five franchises including the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, was even said to have been passed over for the Hall of Fame in his first two years of eligibility because he ‘tore teams apart’.
“The bottom line on T.O. is he was so disruptive,” longtime NFL reporter and Hall of Fame voter Gary Myers said back in 2016.
“He tore teams apart. He’s a Hall of Fame player that five teams couldn’t wait to get rid of. So what does that tell you about how disruptive he was?
“I think what happened in the locker room, and getting thrown off of five teams and being considered a cancer certainly prevented him from being a first-ballot Hall of Famer.”
There’s no doubt Owens had a reputation during his time in the NFL and that’s why one moment, in which he emotionally defended quarterback Tony Romo after a playoff exit in 2008, still feels surreal 17 years on.
Following one of the most successful regular seasons in Cowboys’ history, their campaign ended with a 21-17 Divisional Round loss to the New York Giants – days after Romo took a bye-week vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with girlfriend Jessica Simpson.
With the quarterback taking criticism from fans and the local media over his trip, Owens came out with a tearful defence, crying behind his dark sunglasses during a post-game meeting with reporters.
“It’s not about Tony,” he said, in a voice that trailed off, cracked and wobbled.
“You guys can point the finger at him, you can talk about the vacation. If you do that, it’s really unfair.
“That’s my teammate, that’s my quarterback. If you guys do that, it’s unfair. We lost as a team. We lost as a team, man.”
Owens’ emotional defence of Romo made headlines at the time, and is still being discussed by NFL fans to this day.
“Say what you want but that guy gave his all and actually cared about his teammates and winning,” one person wrote on social media, responding to the clip from 17 years ago.
“Don’t care what anyone says. I’ll always remember T.O. for defending his QB, whether you laugh or not, that’s a teammate,” another said.
“Nothing but respect. Being that emotional means you have an unrivalled passion for this great game and for the brothers beside you,” a third person suggested.
While Owens proved a divisive figure for much of his NFL career, he was indeed voted into the Hall of Fame in 2018 – and it’s unlikely that Romo will ever forget the emotions that came flowing out 10 years prior to that.
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