Terrell Owens may not have a relationship with the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but he will be in attendance in Canton when former 49ers teammate Bryant Young gets enshrined.
T.O. is the only living Hall of Fame inductee to forgo his own ceremony, opting to give his speech at his alma mater, Tennessee-Chattanooga. And he hasn’t shown face anywhere near Canton since.
But, that’ll change this year.
Speaking at a recent event for the late Dwight Clark, Owens explained, “[Bryant] knows my feelings about the Hall of Fame. I wouldn’t be here or even considering going to the Hall of Fame if it weren’t for B.Y.”
T.O. has been very vocal with his criticisms of the Hall of Fame’s selection process. Which has rubbed many involved with Hall the wrong way.
“As far as my relationship with the Hall of Fame, I don’t have one,” Owens explained. “But when it comes to being there for your brothers, obviously, for a teammate like B.Y., the way he showed up every day, just the professionalism, the way he approached his craft, and me seeing [that]. He’s like a gentle giant. He’s quiet, but when the beast needs to come out, you saw it on the field.”
Continuing, “So for me to sit in that locker room and walk into that locker room every day and see how he approached work and just marvel at his professionalism, the way he played, I wouldn’t probably be here. But this is a huge moment. It’s not about me. This is me celebrating my teammate. Prior to that, I probably had no earthly idea when I would probably step foot back in Canton.”
Terrell Owens retired as the second-leading receiver in league history (15,934) and third in receiving touchdowns (153). His 1,078 receptions also ranked eighth all-time.