2011-07-10

JockBio: Terrell Owens Biography

For all his skills—and you would need a box of Sharpies to list them—Terrell Owens is better known for his antics outside the white lines than his accomplishments between them. Inappropriate touchdown celebrations,  whining that he doesn’t see the ball enough, off-season reality TV shows, forcing the hand of management with threats and demands—none of this has earned him the admiration of fans. But if they knew of his tortured past and hard road to the NFL, Terrell might just win their hearts and shed the label of football’s most misunderstood star. This is his story…

Terrell Eldorado Owens was born December 7, 1973, in Alexander City, Alabama. (Click here for today's sports birthdays.) Terrell was the first son to his mother, Marilyn Heard. Only 17 at the time, she was the product of a dysfunctional family herself. Most of Marilyn's childhood was spent in fear and silence. Her mother, Alice, was reportedly cruel to her children (though this claim has been challenged.) Alice raised Marilyn in a confined environment with little love or support. Marilyn wasn't allowed to play with other children and had to come home directly after school. If she didn't, she would pay the price in welts and bruises.

A man named L.C. Russell lived across the street with his wife and kids. Russell was 14 years older than Marilyn, but that didn't matter to either. She craved love and human contact, and he became the father of Terrell. Despite the awkward situation, Russell stayed in the neighborhood with his family.

Marilyn tried to keep her pregnancy a secret from her mother and stepfather, but could only do so for only so long. One night Marilyn's younger sister ran away to live with просто-таки искренним remained at home with Terrell, who was just a baby.

After Terrell, Marilyn had a girl named Latasha. She was married to the infant's father for a brief time. Then in the early ’80s came two more babies—Sharmaine and Victor—fathered by another man.

Terrell often stayed with his grandmother Alice. She was as hard on him as she was on Marilyn. Alice gave him a bike. but he could only ride it in the yard. Terrell was permitted no spare time with his friends and couldn't watch TV. He was also whipped regularly. For all the abuse, however, Terrell loved Alice, viewing her as a second mother.

When Terrell was young, Alice's marriage fell apart and she began drinking heavily. The youngster often had to take care of her until she sobered up. One time Alice was so intoxicated, she put her purse in the oven and burned up all her money. Ironically, Alice seemed to lighten up as her alcohol problem worsened. She even bought Terrell a go-cart, which they would drive on the highway.

When Terrell turned 12, he befriended a girl across the street. Her father noticed and confronted him, warning Terrell that the girl was actually his half-sister. Thus the youngster learned who his father was.

To escape his tortured home life, Terrell became immersed in sports. Basketball, baseball and swimming were his favorites. He also loved football, idolizing San Francisco star Jerry Rice. Terrell played despite stark opposition from Alice. Marilyn, by contrast, supported her son completely, knowing sports made him happy.

Marilyn bounced from job to job and often found herself back in Alice’s house with Terrell. Her other children hated it there, however, so she eventually moved with them into a beat-up two-bedroom home. Terrell stayed with Alice because there simply wasn’t room for him in the cramped dwelling.

Terrell’s athletic career began to blossom when he entered Benjamin Russell High School in the fall of 1988. During his career, he lettered four times in football and track. He also earned three letters in basketball and one in baseball. Terrell actually didn't start for the football team until his senior year. He even thought about quitting the sport, but his coaches talked him out of it. They saw great talent in him, even if he didn’t yet.

Tall, lanky and exceedingly fast, Terrell had the skills to play Division I football. But recruiters were slow to scout him. In fact, many got their first look at him only because they were watching teammates who were also excellent prospects. Few schools pursued Terrell as aggressively as the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The coaches there had no problem with Terrell becoming a multi-sport star. For the teenager, the opportunity to compete in more than one sport at the college level was a major selling point.

With the Moccasins, Terrell flashed every last bit of his athletic ability. He lined up at forward on the basketball team for three years, including five starts for the UTC squad that qualified for the NCAA tournament in 1995. In his senior year, he anchored the school’s 4x100 relay team.

It was on the gridiron, however, where Terrell truly distinguished himself. An explosive receiver, he wore number 80 in honor of his hero, Rice. In his freshman year, he was used sparingly as a backup. In six games in 1992, Terrell caught six passes for 97 yards and a touchdown. When the Mocs finished 2-9, head coach Buddy Nix was shown the door.

Tommy West was hired to replace to Nix the following season, but didn’t have a whole lot to work with. One thing the new coach discovered was Terrell’s gamebreaking ability.The soph emerged as a starter, seeing time in all of UTC’s 11 games. For the season, he hauled in 38 passes for 724 yards and eight touchdowns. His biggest day came against Marshall, when he set a school record with four TDs. The Moccasins improved to 4-7, but just 2-6 in the Southern Conference. That wasn’t enough to save West’s job.

Brought in to lead the team in 1994 was Buddy Green. His top priority was strengthening UTC’s porous defense. Green, however, could only do so much. The Mocs struggled again, posting a record of 3-8. Like West, Green learned to get the ball in Terrell’s hands as often as possible. The junior developed into UTC’s main offensive weapon, posting 58 receptions for 836 yards and six touchdowns. He also carried the ball four times for 35 yards. His performance earned him second-team All-Southern Conference honors.

Heading into the 1995 season, Green focused his offensive game plan around Terrell. For the first time in his college career, he would be returning kickoffs, and he remained the primary target in the passing attack. But enemy defenses were ready for Terrell. He was regularly blanketied with double-coverage.

The increased attention paid to Terrell resulted in a decline in his receiving numbers. In turn, the Mocs suffered without their star receiver controlling the action and finished at 4-7. While Terrell's stats—43 receptions for 666 yards and a touchdown—were more than respectable, they didn’t wow anyone in the pro ranks.

Source: http://www.jockbio.com

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