December 12, 2009
Owens open to returning to 49ers; full transcript
The Bee is in the midst of a "player of the decade" series, which looks at the most critical players in the last 10 years on the teams the paper covers. The 49ers' POD was Terrell Owens, who played four seasons in San Francisco this decade. Here's the story, which ran today. Talking to Owens isn't easy, so I ended up submitting four questions to the Bills public relations staff, which was kind enough to send me the audio of Owens' responses.
All of his answers are thoughtful. The most interesting response is to the last question in which Owens contemplates finishing his career in San Francisco. Owens notes that he only signed a one-year deal with the Bills, which makes him a free agent after the season. Because he needs to shop his services, he is smart in not ruling out SF as a possible destination. But could Owens really wear a 49ers uniform again? I'd put the chances around 8 percent. For one, the team has a stable of young receivers it wants to develop. With Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis, Frank Gore et al., would there be enough opportunities to keep everyone happy? Two, could Alex Smith, who appears to be the quarterback for 2010, manage Owens and other demanding playmakers? Three, Owens also has said he's open to remaining in Buffalo, and that seems like his most logical spot next season.
And yet stranger things have happened. None of the cast members in the big T.O. drama of 2003 - Terry Donahue, Jeff Garcia, etc. - are still around. And the 49ers have perhaps the only coach that could deal with Owens' mercurial personality. Also, the 49ers haven't reached the playoffs since Owens was on the team. Crabtree, Davis ... Owens? Scary.
Q: When you left the 49ers, there seemed to be no love loss between you and the organization. Looking back six years later, what are your memories of San Francisco like?
TO: My memories of San Francisco. Whew. The days of practicing and working hard with the greatest receiver of all time in Jerry Rice and playing with a Hall of Fame quarterback, Steve Young. There were just a number of 49er greats in my mind, from Lee Woodall, Dana Stubblefield, Merton Hanks, Tim McDonald, Ray Brown - man, there were so many guys that I looked up to and I looked at from afar and as my career progressed ... It's very, very memorable because I started from nothing and made myself into something. Having Jerry Rice on the team and the coaches that I had - Larry Kirksey. And once Larry Kirksey left, George Stewart. I think those two coaches alone were very, very instrumental. Along with Jerry Rice, those two guys alone have been so instrumental in what I've become today. No. 1, no one seems to know that or give them the credit, and I put in a lot of hard work. But without those two guys coaching me, striving and instilling in me the things that it takes to be successful, I wouldn't be where I am today.
Q: Do you have a favorite play or a favorite moment that you associate with your time in San Francisco?
TO: Well of course, everybody's going to forever remember what I call The Catch II when we played the Green Bay Packers. It's now being seen on NFL Network. It's one of the classic games. The last few weeks, I've kind of flipped through it and watched bits and pieces of that game. I saw a kid that was real, real raw, that was hungry, that was determined. At that time, there wasn't a lot of pressure, but I wasn't polished as a receiver. But I grew up, and that play there kind of put me on the map so to speak. From there, my career speaks for itself. Just watching that game and knowing that there were so many mishaps in that game. I run a Colorado route in the end zone and Steve Young throws that pass, and as it's coming to me, the way the stadium sits, the ball goes into the sun, I can't see it, I drop it. I come back. I fumble it. I fumble a pass. I drop a couple more passes. But no matter what, I had coaches and players on the sideline that stuck with me. It's amazing to look at where I started and where I am now. It's a big jump.
Q: Since leaving San Francisco, some of your best games have come against the 49ers. Is that a coincidence?
TO: No. That's every player that's been in that situation. You leave the team and then you play against them. Obviously you want to play well. It just so happened that I've been fortunate to play well. ... It lets you know that my career - it could have extended in San Francisco. For whatever reason, those things didn't work out. Would I have liked to have continued my career there? Sure. And considering things that I've done from an accolade standpoint, from a production standpoint, I'm sure they probably would have rethought things and resigned me and done all those things. I'm very fortunate and blessed to have played in that organization, played for a coach like George Seifert, who was my first-year coach, and just been around all those greats - in my mind - who played on those teams.
Q: Since you left town, several receivers have worn No. 81, and almost all of them have had disastrous careers with the 49ers. Did you put a curse on the number, and if so how do the 49ers remove it ...?
TO: (Laughs) I haven't really thought about it. There will never be another Jerry Rice. He wore No. 80. I don't think there will ever be another Terrell Owens and I wore 81. I don't know. Maybe it's a trick question. Maybe to remove the curse they have to put me back in that uniform. Other than that, you know, at this juncture, you never know what can happen. Obviously I'm here on a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills and I really don't know what my future holds after this year. If you look at the Alan Iverson situation, he's back in Philly where he began and I think a number of players have done that, finished their careers where they started. I wouldn't want to go back just to, you know, put on a uniform just to end my career there. If I came back, I know I'm capable of playing this game at a high level. I would be instrumental and would want to be instrumental in whatever they're trying to strive to do in that organization. But like I said, I don't know how the curse is removed. I never really thought of it. I look at teams that I've been on. They can't duplicate what that person did in that uniform before. You can only go out and be yourself.
-- Matt Barrows
Owens open to returning to 49ers; full transcript
The Bee is in the midst of a "player of the decade" series, which looks at the most critical players in the last 10 years on the teams the paper covers. The 49ers' POD was Terrell Owens, who played four seasons in San Francisco this decade. Here's the story, which ran today. Talking to Owens isn't easy, so I ended up submitting four questions to the Bills public relations staff, which was kind enough to send me the audio of Owens' responses.
All of his answers are thoughtful. The most interesting response is to the last question in which Owens contemplates finishing his career in San Francisco. Owens notes that he only signed a one-year deal with the Bills, which makes him a free agent after the season. Because he needs to shop his services, he is smart in not ruling out SF as a possible destination. But could Owens really wear a 49ers uniform again? I'd put the chances around 8 percent. For one, the team has a stable of young receivers it wants to develop. With Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis, Frank Gore et al., would there be enough opportunities to keep everyone happy? Two, could Alex Smith, who appears to be the quarterback for 2010, manage Owens and other demanding playmakers? Three, Owens also has said he's open to remaining in Buffalo, and that seems like his most logical spot next season.
And yet stranger things have happened. None of the cast members in the big T.O. drama of 2003 - Terry Donahue, Jeff Garcia, etc. - are still around. And the 49ers have perhaps the only coach that could deal with Owens' mercurial personality. Also, the 49ers haven't reached the playoffs since Owens was on the team. Crabtree, Davis ... Owens? Scary.
Q: When you left the 49ers, there seemed to be no love loss between you and the organization. Looking back six years later, what are your memories of San Francisco like?
TO: My memories of San Francisco. Whew. The days of practicing and working hard with the greatest receiver of all time in Jerry Rice and playing with a Hall of Fame quarterback, Steve Young. There were just a number of 49er greats in my mind, from Lee Woodall, Dana Stubblefield, Merton Hanks, Tim McDonald, Ray Brown - man, there were so many guys that I looked up to and I looked at from afar and as my career progressed ... It's very, very memorable because I started from nothing and made myself into something. Having Jerry Rice on the team and the coaches that I had - Larry Kirksey. And once Larry Kirksey left, George Stewart. I think those two coaches alone were very, very instrumental. Along with Jerry Rice, those two guys alone have been so instrumental in what I've become today. No. 1, no one seems to know that or give them the credit, and I put in a lot of hard work. But without those two guys coaching me, striving and instilling in me the things that it takes to be successful, I wouldn't be where I am today.
Q: Do you have a favorite play or a favorite moment that you associate with your time in San Francisco?
TO: Well of course, everybody's going to forever remember what I call The Catch II when we played the Green Bay Packers. It's now being seen on NFL Network. It's one of the classic games. The last few weeks, I've kind of flipped through it and watched bits and pieces of that game. I saw a kid that was real, real raw, that was hungry, that was determined. At that time, there wasn't a lot of pressure, but I wasn't polished as a receiver. But I grew up, and that play there kind of put me on the map so to speak. From there, my career speaks for itself. Just watching that game and knowing that there were so many mishaps in that game. I run a Colorado route in the end zone and Steve Young throws that pass, and as it's coming to me, the way the stadium sits, the ball goes into the sun, I can't see it, I drop it. I come back. I fumble it. I fumble a pass. I drop a couple more passes. But no matter what, I had coaches and players on the sideline that stuck with me. It's amazing to look at where I started and where I am now. It's a big jump.
Q: Since leaving San Francisco, some of your best games have come against the 49ers. Is that a coincidence?
TO: No. That's every player that's been in that situation. You leave the team and then you play against them. Obviously you want to play well. It just so happened that I've been fortunate to play well. ... It lets you know that my career - it could have extended in San Francisco. For whatever reason, those things didn't work out. Would I have liked to have continued my career there? Sure. And considering things that I've done from an accolade standpoint, from a production standpoint, I'm sure they probably would have rethought things and resigned me and done all those things. I'm very fortunate and blessed to have played in that organization, played for a coach like George Seifert, who was my first-year coach, and just been around all those greats - in my mind - who played on those teams.
Q: Since you left town, several receivers have worn No. 81, and almost all of them have had disastrous careers with the 49ers. Did you put a curse on the number, and if so how do the 49ers remove it ...?
TO: (Laughs) I haven't really thought about it. There will never be another Jerry Rice. He wore No. 80. I don't think there will ever be another Terrell Owens and I wore 81. I don't know. Maybe it's a trick question. Maybe to remove the curse they have to put me back in that uniform. Other than that, you know, at this juncture, you never know what can happen. Obviously I'm here on a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills and I really don't know what my future holds after this year. If you look at the Alan Iverson situation, he's back in Philly where he began and I think a number of players have done that, finished their careers where they started. I wouldn't want to go back just to, you know, put on a uniform just to end my career there. If I came back, I know I'm capable of playing this game at a high level. I would be instrumental and would want to be instrumental in whatever they're trying to strive to do in that organization. But like I said, I don't know how the curse is removed. I never really thought of it. I look at teams that I've been on. They can't duplicate what that person did in that uniform before. You can only go out and be yourself.
-- Matt Barrows
