Terrible Terrell Owens is misunderstood. Just because he does things and says things that require further explanation doesn’t mean he can’t catch passes for the Philadelphia Eagles.
He caught a lot of passes from Jeff Garcia when they were in San Francisco, even though he never really got along with Garcia or a lot of other teammates. He’s too honest, he explains.
Owens wore out his welcome in San Francisco, then wore out his welcome in Baltimore before he ever got there. The Ravens traded for him, then were informed by the league he really should have been a free agent.
The Eagles then traded for him, too, just to make sure. The Ravens still think they were jobbed, but that’s another story.
Philadelphia coach Andy Reid said he got to know Owens at Pro Bowls in Hawaii.
“I liked what I saw,” Reid said. “I also had [assistant head coach] Marty Mornhinweg on the staff, and Marty had been with him for a number of years and really thought the world of T.O.
“You always hear that he’s a hard worker. You see him out here. He goes 110 percent every snap and works his tail off. Our receivers have done that over the years here, but it’s great for them to see a guy that is considered a superstar in the NFL work that hard. So I guess if you have to pick one thing that I’ve appreciated, that would be it.”
Every team in the NFC East made major acquisitions in the off-season, but nobody will be as closely watched as Owens. The biggest question is what happens when Philly’s notoriously tough fans boo him for a dropped pass or a silly comment.
Let Owens reply: “We played them last year and they kind of booed me. They’re a rowdy bunch of fans, similar to Oakland. When they’re against you, they’re against you, especially if you’re the opposition. But I’ve felt nothing but love since I’ve been here. The tides have turned and those boos have turned into obviously cheers and I’m kind of expecting it. Eventually I’ll get a boo here and there, and I’ll just take it with a grain of salt and just keep moving.”
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