Terrell Owens Believes He Should Still be a Cowboy
Terrell Owens (T.O.) may have been playing for the Cincinnati Bengals in last Sunday’s preseason opener, but the outspoken receiver feels he should have been on the other sideline, with the Dallas Cowboys.
Owens says he has moved on and is enjoying playing with his buddy Chad Ochocinco and the Bengals, but he still feels he was prematurely released by his former team: "You have to take the bitter with the sweet, and you move on," Owens said. "Do I think I should probably be there? Yeah, it was short-lived. I was prematurely let go. Things like that happen."
T.O. has now been a part of five teams in the NFL. He spent three of his seasons with the Cowboys, racking up 235 receptions for 3,587 yards and 38 touchdowns. All impressive numbers and the Cowboys benefited most from his production in 2007 when they finished with a 13-3 record and were the first seed in the playoffs. The Cowboys still lost in their first playoff game that year, against the New York Giants and didn’t win a playoff game in any of those seasons.
Owens received a four-year extension with the Cowboys before the 2008 season, but he was let go after he allegedly feuded with quarterback Tony Romo and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.
"There's no turning back or going back or redoing anything," Owens said. "Again, I still stand by the things that I said and what was done. I know that honestly it wasn't my fault."
Owens believes that even at this point in his career, he is still a playmaker. He had a pedestrian season with the Buffalo Bills last year, which he can’t entirely be blamed for. The Bills had a dull offence and were weak at quarterback. With Carson Palmer now slinging him passes, this year is Owens’ chance to prove himself right.
“I feel confident about myself and what I can still do on the football field even at the age of 36," Owens said. "With me in here, obviously there are expectations of getting the ball downfield. With myself, Chad and Antonio, we bring a vertical presence to the offense. With us being three different types of receivers, that brings three different dynamics to this offense."
Owens also had unfavorable fallouts with other quarterbacks in his career, including Jeff Garcia in San Francisco and Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia. His career statistics still will have a huge impact in possibly landing him in the Hall of Fame. After his stop in Canton, Ohio over the weekend, he hopes to return there one day with his own plaque.
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