NFL History: 30 players fans loved to loathe: 2. Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens has gotten a pretty bad rep over the years. No matter where he went in his career, he was castigated by opposing fans for lighting their teams on fire. In the same vein, he was also crucified by his own supporters.
Everything seemingly revolved around the mercurial wide receiver but truth be told, the perception surrounding him was wrong.
Take for example the 2004 season in which he helped the Philadelphia Eagles reach the Super Bowl. For most of that run, Owens was absent as he dealt with a lower leg injury. With the biggest game of the season taking place, a less than 100% Owens trudged out there and balled out of his mind. He caught nine passes for 122 yards and was far and away the best player on the field. Yet, many called him selfish for playing.
His T.O. initials quickly turned into “team obliterator.” Fans couldn’t wait to discard him despite his outstanding talent. With his teammates, coaching staffs, opposing and his own fan bases hating him, Owens still went on to have a Hall of Fame career, no matter how much dirt was thrown on his name.