Owens to celebrate in Chattanooga
Terrell Owens has decided to celebrate his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame at Chattanooga, where he played college football.
The former NFL All-Pro receiver, who has said he was not attending the induction ceremony in Canton, Ohio, released a statement on Tuesday saying he would give his acceptance speech at his alma mater.
“I have decided to give my Hall of Fame speech at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in McKenzie Arena on Saturday, August 4,” Owens posted on Twitter. “The event, which is free and open to the public, starts at 3:17 p.m.”
Owens added that he is “proud to be a Moc, and I’m honoured to be able to share this experience with my family, friends, teammates and fans at the place that provided me an opportunity beyond high school and where I truly began to find myself as an athlete.”
The 44-year-old Owens said he is looking forward to the event, and “Getcha popcorn ready.”
Owens was a three-sport athlete at Chattanooga, where he played football from 1992-95. He also played basketball and ran track for the Mocs. Owens said he “realized just how much I want to celebrate what will inevitably be the best weekend of my life at a place that means so much to me.” He was voted into the hall in February after being denied in his first two years of eligibility. His announcement last month that he was skipping the Aug. 4 induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame is unprecedented by an enshrinee.
Chattanooga athletic director Mark Wharton said Tuesday that Owens first spoke with school officials “several months ago” about the possibility of having some type of event in Chattanooga.
Owens ranks second to Jerry Rice with 15,934 yards receiving and is third on the all-time touchdowns receiving list with 153.
Owens heavily criticized the voting process when he failed to be elected in 2016 and 2017. Among the reasons he fell short were his being considered a divisive teammate and negative presence in the locker room.