'''Terrell Eldorado Owens''', (born December 7th, 1973, in Alexander City, Alabama) is an American football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys.
He was deactivated for most of the 2005 season by the Philadelphia Eagles due primarily to behavior stemming from a contract dispute and conflicts with other Eagles' players, including quarterback Donovan McNabb. On March 18, 2006, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones announced that Terrell Owens signed a contract to play for the team.
Biography
Early Life
Owens was born into a troubled home in Alexander City, Alabama. He immersed himself in sports from an early age, idolizing Jerry Rice. He was not a distinguished high school athlete, and only managed to earn his first starting position during his senior year. After completing high school, Owens chose to accept a scholarship from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Owens played basketball, ran track and played college football for the UTC Moccasins while enrolled at the University of Tennessee. He played in the 1995 NCAA Tournament in basketball and anchored the schools 4x100 relay team. To pay tribute to his idol, Jerry Rice, Owens wore a #80 on the football field. As a freshman, Owens saw limited playtime, catching only six passes for 97 yards and a touchdown. During his sophomore year, new head coach Tommy West promoted him to starter. Owens would go on to catch 38 passes for 724 yards and eight touchdowns. During his junior year, Owens headlined the team's offense, catching 58 passes for 836 yards and six touchdowns. During his senior year, Owens faced double coverage every week, and was limited to 43 receptions for 666 yards and one touchdown.
San Francisco 49ers
Based as much on his size and speed as on his demonstrated ability, Owens was drafted by the NFL's San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft. While Owens was ecstatic to play alongside his idol, Jerry Rice, he maintained a solemn attitude during the team's practice sessions. Owens played his first professional game against the Atlanta Falcons, where he served as a member of 49ers special teams.
In the 1997 NFL season, Terrell Owens became a big name for the 49ers, when Rice went down early in the season with a torn ACL. He and quarterback Steve Young helped the 49ers win 13 games that season. In a wild-card playoff game the next year, after dropping a number of passes, Owens redeemed himself by catching a game-winning touchdown against the Green Bay Packers for a 30-27 comeback victory. This play has been dubbed The Catch II.
The following season was a disaster for
