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Dallas Cowboys: Terrell Owens enters Hall of Fame as a cautionary tale

By Steven Mullenax

TORONTO, ON - MAY 23: Former NFL player Terrell Owens attends game four of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors during the 2016 NBA Playoffs at the Air Canada Centre on May 23, 2016 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - MAY 23: Former NFL player Terrell Owens attends game four of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors during the 2016 NBA Playoffs at the Air Canada Centre on May 23, 2016 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /
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Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame as he’ll be remembered in the NFL, as a cautionary tale.

Throughout his entire NFL career, former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens was never the perfect teammate. In fact, quite the opposite. Owens’ legacy will forever be tarnished as a locker room cancer.

So it wasn’t a real surprise that after waiting two years to be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Owens accepted his sport’s highest honor in the same negative fashion in which he played the game: selfishly and as a bad teammate.

Upset about the fact he was forced to wait to get voted into the Hall of Fame, the 44-year old Owens opted to skip the traditional induction ceremonies as a form of protest. Instead, the diva wide receiver had his gold jacket mailed to him and performed his acceptance speech nearly 600 miles south of Canton, Ohio at his former college, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Owens believes he deserved to be voted in the Hall during his first year of eligibility. But his poisonous history was taken into account by HOF voters, resulting in his delayed induction. Owens claims he’s taking a stance because there’s a flaw in the voting process.

During his 16-year NFL career, Owens desperately sought recognition for his outstanding play on the field. The Hall of Fame finally offered him an opportunity to be recognized as one of the greatest football players in history, and he flat refused.

For many, Owens was the very definition of a bad teammate. And he enters the Hall of Fame the exact same way, refusing to take the stage with his fellow honorees in front of his peers. It was a selfish decision that is very reminiscence of his playing days.

There is no doubt that Owens is worthy of the honor. He is currently No. 2 on the league’s all-time receiving yards list, racking up 15,934 yards during his career. Owens only trails the great Jerry Rice (22,895), his former teammate with the San Francisco 49ers. He’s also eighth on the all-time career receptions list (1,078) and third in receiving touchdowns (153).

Owens joined the Cowboys in 2006 after a falling out with the Philadelphia Eagles. That after he helped the Eagles get to Super Bowl XXXIX the year before. During his three-year stint in Dallas, Owens posted 235 receptions for 3,587 yards and 38 touchdowns.

T.O.’s most memorable moments for Cowboys fans will likely be his “get your popcorn ready” proclamation and crying over Tony Romo as “his quarterback” during a press conference.

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Maybe nothing sums up Owen’s career better than his impromptu reaction to a fan who yelled out “I love you” during his Hall of Fame acceptance speech on Saturday, via ESPN.

"“I love you too. But I love me more.”"

That’s a fitting end to Terrell Owens’ NFL career. Owens was an elite wide receiver who unfortunately loved himself far more than he loved his numerous teams or teammates, eventually alienating both to the point where his play took a backseat to his selfish and destructive personality. It’s a depressing footnote to an outstanding career that will only be remembered as a cautionary tale.

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