Terrell Owens: "I was far from perfect but not nearly as bad as a person that the media has portrayed"

One of the most dominant playmakers of his time, Terrell Owens was nominated by the Senior Selection Committee and the contributor finalist for consideration to be included in the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018.

Owens joins the list of The list of 15 Modern-Era Finalists for theClass of 2018 features five players who are finalists for the first time. The group includes four first-year eligible nominees – Steve Hutchinson, Ray Lewis, Randy Moss, and Brian Urlacher. Everson Walls, in his 20th year of eligibility, is also a first-time finalist.

This is in Owens’ third year as a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The coolest part about it? Owens acknowledges that the ones that truly know him know that he should have been a first ballot Hall of Famer and that he was snubbed.

“This is the world we live in,” Owens said via an Instagram post.

“If you’re not liked, when they feel as though they can’t control you, when you have a few 2-faced teammates and coaches (Steve Mariucci) that have spoken poorly of me to the media to where the media has created a negative persona of someone that has NO criminal record of any kind…NO DUIs, NO domestic violence cases, NO murder charges, NO sexual allegations, NO taking or involvement with drugs, etc.”

Added Owens:

“The critical rhetoric that I was not a team player, not a good teammate, divided locker rooms, was arrogant and cocky but the reality was that I was very confident in who I was/I am & my ability to play, I spoke up for myself, different and was honest probably to a fault but I’ll NEVER REGRET how my GRANDMAMA raised me. I’m the 1st to admit that I was far from perfect but not nearly as bad as a person that the media has portrayed.”

Check out Terrell Owens and Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson discuss Kevin Durant on Scoop B Radio. Press Play Below!

THANKS to @gomocsfb for this pic and thinking of me of this well deserved honor!! And THANKS to my family, ALL my fans, friends, haters, detractors and naysayers as well. For the ones that truly know me, know that I could care less after being snubbed for what should have been a 1st ballot. This is the world we live in, if u’re not liked, when they feel as though they can’t control u, when u have a few 2-faced teammates and coaches(Steve Mariucci) that have spoken poorly of me to the media to where the media has created a negative persona of someone that has NO criminal record of any kind…NO DUIs, NO domestic violence cases, NO murder charges, NO sexual allegations, NO taking or involvement with drugs, etc. The critical rhetoric that I was not a team player, not a good teammate, divided locker rooms, was arrogant and cocky but the reality was that I was very confident in who I was/I am & my ability to play, I spoke up for myself, different and was honest probably to a fault but I’ll NEVER REGRET how my GRANDMAMA raised me. I’m the 1st to admit that I was far from perfect but not nearly as bad as a person that the media has portrayed. Every athlete is not 100% liked by their teammates or coaches and neither did I but I was mature enough to put my feelings aside and perform. NEVER cursed out any of my teammates/coaches but there are plenty that have in which the media deems their actions to be positive, passionate, guys of great character and a display of leadership. So it’s simple to me about the HOF and the process…It’s Flawed and Disrespectful. Oh and I know some are gonna read this and say, See that’s what they’re talking about because I’m posting this and my response is What about it? What exactly did I do so wrong outside of the by-laws of the HOF in which an athlete is nominated and inducted? Maybe to some I was just like my initials T.O….Too Outspoken ? but there’s a saying attributed but many that says that “If you don’t stand for something, You will fall for anything.” Thanks again to @gomocs and @utchattanooga for giving me the opportunity to play football when I had no aspirations to play beyond the collegiate level but I made it. #FACTS

A post shared by Terrell Owens (@terrellowens) on Jan 3, 2018 at 4:40pm PST

Terrell Owens spent 15 years in the NFL, most notably with the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Owens was an instrumental part of the Philadelphia Eagles team that won the NFC title in 2004 and would eventually lose to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX.

He’s always been outspoken.

On a recent episode of Scoop B Radio, he crossed sports and expressed that he was in agreemement with Kevin Durant’s decision to bolt the Oklahoma City Thunder and join the Golden State Warriors via free agency.

“He did nothing wrong,” the six-time NFL Pro Bowler told me. “If a guy is on a roster, speaking football from a football perspective for a second, I was in a situation like that. Let’s say a guy had five years left on his deal, he gets that third year in the organization, imagine if they cut him. Nobody says anything in the organization. KD, LeBron; they played out the entirety of their contract, so they become unrestricted free agents. What’s wrong with going out there and shopping the market?”

“It’s a business decision,” he said. “Those two words right there: business and decision is what general managers and owners use when they cut people and they make billions on business moves. So, these guys are getting smart just like owners and people in those managerial positions making business decisions.”

During his football career, Owens caught 153 touchdowns and has 15,934 career receiving yards, which ranks second in NFL history.

As for Owens’ selection process, he along with the 15 Modern-Era Finalists will be considered for election to the Hall of Fame when the Hall’s Selection Committee meets on “Selection Saturday” in Minneapolis the day before Super Bowl LII to elect the new class

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#Pro Football Hall of Fame #Terrell Owens

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Brandon Robinson

Brandon 'Scoop B' Robinson is a managing editor and columnist at RESPECT Magazine. Follow him on Twitter: @ScoopB and Instagram: @Scoop_B. As a 12 year old, he was a Nets reporter from 1997-1999, co-hosting a show called Nets Slammin' Planet with former New Jersey Net Albert King and Nets play-by-play man Chris Carrino. He's also been a writer and radio host at CBS and a staff writer at The Source Magazine. He's a graduate of both Eastern University and Hofstra University. You can catch him daily on the Scoop B Radio Podcast. Visit ScoopBRadio.com to listen. For inquiries and to contact Brandon 'Scoop B' Robinson visit ScoopB.com