T.O.: I still miss Philly
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T.O.: I still miss Philly
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
It's been nearly four years since Terrell Owens was a member of the Eagles, but the wide receiver says he still misses Philly.
"I do miss you guys," he said during a Friday interview with ESPN 950's Mike Missanelli. "I had a year and a half of my best career there in Philly. It was short-lived but I did enjoy the fans there. They were fanatics. I know when I came to that stadium and I drove up to that stadium, they got me psyched, they got me ready to play ball. I'm very fortunate to have played for that organization."
Owens abstained from taking any shots at Donovan McNabb during the interview, which also included model Joanna Krupa, who T.O. is partnered with for the upcoming ABC show Superstars.
Instead, he said the problem arose with the Eagles' management, who refused to discuss a new deal after the Super Bowl.
"Of course," Owens answered, when asked if he would have remained an Eagle if the team offered to rework his contract. "I work hard for what I do. I put in a lot of hard work into my body to keep my body the way it is during the season, during the offseason. I feel like I jeopardized my career given the injury that I sustained, people just don't know. Had I injured myself any further...I went against the doctors' orders."
"I wouldn't say they owed it to me," he continued. "But I thought out of respect and for what I brought to the team and what I did, it would have been considered."
Looking back on his time with the Eagles, T.O. first said he wouldn't change a thing in terms of how things played out. But when pressed by Missanelli, he quickly changed his tune.
"Looking back on it, there is a few things that I would have done differently, maybe interviews or what not," he said. "But the things that came from those interviews, trust me, and I have said it time and time again, people overreacted to what was being said, what was being reported. Again, not to harp on football too much, and go back to that and relive that, if people were to read the transcript of what happened and what I said, it would be clear to them."
Owens added that he's been successful everywhere he's played. Missanelli pointed out that critics would say he hasn't been successful in terms of his teams winning.
"My stats speak for itself," Owens said. "And teams' records prior to me getting there and after I've gotten there speaks for itself as well, so I think they're basically speaking off opinion and that's fine. Sometimes they're speaking out of anger. Just as well as a quarterback can make me better, I can make a quarterback better. And if you want to check the stats with that too, maybe they'll be able to reevaluate their opinion."
Did he make McNabb better?
"We both made each other better," Owens said.
And finally, Missanelli asked T.O. if he considered coming back to Philly after the Cowboys released him.
"Honestly when everything happened, it happened so fast," he said. "I didn't really have enough time to ponder that situation. It was a matter of 24 to 48 hours before things got to where I am now. We obviously talked about team possibilities, options, what have you. I think things ended so badly with myself and management, I never even thought they would even consider it, even though since then Donovan and I, we've talked, we've hung out and things are very amicable with us right now."
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We don't miss you Me Owe.— PhillyRising- i miss the double teams he woudl get and watching him run over DBs,, yep,, i miss him.. so does McNabb..— osi is hurt boohoo
Comment removed.- Lonewolf4-we did pay him, lots, and after one year he wanted more. he says he risked it all for the team and that is why he deserved more. BS. Its his job. Does a fireman who saves someone from a burning building refuse to go o=into a new burning building unless they pay him more? What did he get us? One extra win, and no TDs in the Super Bowl. He is a cancer, and a selfish player.— mjposner
- Comment removed.
- I don't remember Jerry Rice doing pushups in his driveway, asking for mo' money. Rice, Irvin and Harrison played for 1 team their whole careers. Why is it that 2 can't stick with one team and always has a problem with his QB?— P Even
- Rice played in Oakland after the Niners released him.— srf466
- He is missed and anyone who says different is delusional. It is just too bad for whatever reason, TO didn't handle himself different, he would have still been an Eagle, and we would have had one or two Super Bowl wins under our belts.— philligurl
- Comment removed.
- What vitamins did he take before THAT interview?— ArtMooney
- He put his career in jeopardy by playing in the Super Bowl an on ankle that needed rehabilitation. He made McNabb look amazing, just like Randy Moss made Cunningham look in Minnesota. The media blew everything out of proprotion with T.O., and ran him out of town. I would take him back in a hearbeat, and hope that he considers us when his one year deal with Buffalo is up. This guy is a player.— FloridaBrian
- He put his career in jeopardy by playing in the Super Bowl an on ankle that needed rehabilitation. He made McNabb look amazing, just like Randy Moss made Cunningham look in Minnesota. The media blew everything out of proprotion with T.O., and ran him out of town. I would take him back in a hearbeat, and hope that he considers us when his one year deal with Buffalo is up. This guy is a player.— FloridaBrian
- WE MISS T.O TOO.....WE WERE JUST AS STUBERN AS HE WAS...SORRY THAT THINGS DID NOT WORK OUT FOR THE EAGLES, AND TERRELL YEARS BACK..BUT MAYBE AFTER THE YEAR IN BUFFALO IS UP HE POSSIBLY CAN RETURN TO PHILADELPHIA TO START FROM SCRATCH.SENSE T.O AND DONOVAN ARE ALRIGHT AGAIN MAYBE WE CAN TRY IT ONE MORE TIME.....EVERYONE DESERVE'S AN SECOND CHANCE!....— legaleagle1994
- well, T.O can play his position,given that,there were too many press people spinning this and it got away from them,therefore creating the situation.but to created his own woes here by making it a me me me deal instead of team team team.he's made his qb's his enemy every where he went,and i'll give em 3 games before he turns on the bills qb.come back to philly?no we had enough of him here.good luck in buffalo, and hope u like it cold..— teephilly76
- well, T.O can play his position,given that,there were too many press people spinning this and it got away from them,therefore creating the situation.but to created his own woes here by making it a me me me deal instead of team team team.he's made his qb's his enemy every where he went,and i'll give em 3 games before he turns on the bills qb.come back to philly?no we had enough of him here.good luck in buffalo, and hope u like it cold..— teephilly76
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