New Terrell Owens documentary follows the former Eagle from ‘socially awkward’ to driveway situps
The documentary, which was produced by NFL Films and is streaming on Amazon's Prime Video, chronicles Owens' 15-year career.
More than 20 years after doing situps in his Moorestown driveway, Terrell Owens is opening up further about his public fallout with the Eagles.
“I felt like I was in a no-win situation, regardless,” Owens said in Terrell & T.O, a new documentary on Amazon’s Prime Video. “I felt like I was so like the black sheep of the family. I had only been there for like a year.”
Terrell & T.O., which released Thursday and was produced by NFL Films, follows the star wide receiver throughout his NFL career. It features interviews with former Eagles linebacker Ike Reese and wideout Freddie Mitchell; former Eagles coach Andy Reid; 49ers stars Steve Young and Jerry Rice; Cowboys owner Jerry Jones; and former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.
» READ MORE: Memories of Terrell Owens leaving Eagles camp to work out in his driveway haven’t faded 20 years later
The documentary offers a detailed look at Owens’ fractured relationship with the Eagles and then-franchise quarterback Donovan McNabb. Following the Eagles’ run to Super Bowl XXXIX in February 2005, Owens held out for a new contract. At the time, McNabb did not publicly back Owens, despite advocating for running back Brian Westbrook to receive an extension.
“Donovan did not like the fact that Terrell Owens got more love than him,” Mitchell said in the documentary.
» READ MORE: Donovan McNabb says Eagles offense was ‘not exciting’ in season-opening win over Washington
The tensions culminated in a public feud between the two players, and Owens told ESPN that the Eagles would be improved with then-Packers quarterback Brett Favre under center. McNabb was not interviewed for the documentary.
Owens also details his recovery from a broken fibula during the 2004 season. Famously, the wide receiver suffered the injury during a Week 15 matchup against the Cowboys. He underwent surgery before making a surprise comeback to play in the Super Bowl just seven weeks later. In the documentary, Owens claims that the Eagles required him to sign a form to play, ensuring the team had no responsibility if he reinjured his leg. The Eagles have previously denied that such a form existed.
“There was a form I had to sign to release the Philadelphia Eagles for any liability because [of] the risk of me going out there and playing,” Owens said. “Basically, I risked my career to play.”
Along with his 15-year NFL career, including spending the 2004 and 2005 seasons with the Eagles, the documentary dives into aspects of Owens’ upbringing and personal life. It may surprise some fans that Owens, a Pro Football Hall of Famer known for his grand personality, was quiet when he entered the league because of the way he was raised. Owens grew up in his grandmother’s house and often felt he had to walk on “eggshells.”
“How I was raised impacted my first years,” Owens said. “I was aloof. I was socially awkward. I didn’t talk to everybody. I wasn’t a social butterfly. Once I started to emerge from the shadow of Jerry [Rice], football became a form of entertainment.”
The Eagles have problems. Eight games into the season, that much is sure. But which ones are symptomatic, versus the ones that are systemic? From the head coach to the personnel, from coordinators to the front office, The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and David Murphy scrutinize the micro issues that point to some of the larger dilemmas the Eagles now face: should they start to pack it in, and who will be held accountable for the team’s shortcomings? Listen here.
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