Is Terrell Owens In The Hall Of Fame?

One of the most dominant wide receivers to ever step foot on the turf is the legendary Terrell Owens. He was the dynamite of a player who owns countless NFL records as well as various franchise records. Coming into the league in the mid-90s, Terrell Owens formed a one-two punch partnership alongside another legend of the game in Jerry Rice (possibly the greatest receiver in NFL history) when the two played for the San Francisco 49ers.

Owens himself admitted that he was a fan of Rice and that he worked hard to model his game after the former legend. That being said, Owens turned up big for games and wherever he went he ensured to give his all and play through adversity for his team and for the love of the game.

The former wide receiver who is 6 foot 3 inches and weighed around 224 lb. was not just fast but he was freakishly strong. There were a great number of tackles he avoided just by the power in his hands to send the defender flying to the ground. But with all the success he has seen in his career, it is a great shame that T.O. as he is fondly called never got the chance to lift the Lombardi Trophy.

Has Terrell Owens been enshrined in the Hall of Fame

Terrell Owens was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018 which was incidentally his third year of eligibility. This came as a huge shock to many people related to the sport and to his fans who were all expecting Owens to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Once Owens got snubbed for the second year in a row, a big controversy started to unfold and various speculations started coming forth with regards to the snub. The most practical and possible explanation on everyone’s mind was that his off-field issues were the main reason behind him not getting his due respect.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is a special place that represents the best of the best or rather the elite football players who have given their heart, body, and soul to the game, have come out on top as a winner, and have carved a legacy in the sport. Taking into account everything that the former great achieved on the field, his value as a football player should not have been diminished in such a way.

Terrell Owens Hall of Fame snub

In a direct response to the actions of the Hall of Fame committee which agreed to enshrine him in his third year of eligibility, Owens decided to snub the ceremony altogether by not going to Canton and being part of the grand event. Owens’ actions led to further controversy as he decided to hold his own speech at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga which was his alma mater.

Terrell Owens in the NFL

Owens came into the league in 1996 after being selected in the third round by the 49ers. Up until his professional career started Owens was not predicted to reach the monumental heights that he ended up achieving.

Soon after joining the 49ers and getting mentored by Rice, Owens began developing into one of the most feared wide receivers of that era. He had a breakout year in his third year when he crossed 1,000 plus yards for the first time in his career and then never looked back. From 2000 to 2008, Owens had his peak years in the NFL crossing 1,000 receiving yards every year except in 2005 when he was suspended for more than half the season by the Philadelphia Eagles on account of some questionable comments and behavior.

By the time his NFL career came to an end after 15 years, Owens had led the league in receiving touchdowns on three occasions and is now third overall on the list of regular season receiving touchdowns behind Jerry Rice and Randy Moss, and third overall in regular season receiving yards behind Rice and Larry Fitzgerald. Obviously, these accomplishments have guaranteed a first-ballot Hall of Fame induction had it not been for his controversial nature off the field.