How far would you go to achieve your ultimate goal
? Would you do it if it involved potentially harming
your livelihood, or would you rather me stop the
hypothetical questions and give you more context? Fine.
Three weeks before the 2004 NFL postseason, the red
hot 12-1 Philadelphia Eagles lost their engine on offense when
wide receiver Terrell Owens got pulled to the ground from
behind on this play. It's safe to say that
a human leg isn't meant to bend that way,
and after the game, the diagnosis confirmed what the
eye could see. The severity of TO's injury required
him to undergo surgery, inserting a metal plate and
screws in his leg. 10 weeks at best was
the expected time to heal. Even if Philly were
to make a seven week deep playoff run to the
title, specialists believed Owens would be throwing away his
career if he made a return. OK, so
what? Philly made it to the Super Bowl?
Owens hinted at playing, but the medical world thought
he would be foolish to do so. TO's surgeon
didn't clear him to play. I said, your
surgeon didn't clear you. Why are you being heroic
? TO's decision to play in the Super Bowl was
a big deal. It's kind of wild that TO
is a part of this Philly team to begin with
. Sans Owens, the Eagles dominated the early 2000s
, reaching three straight NFC conference championships. However,
making it to the championship, and actually winning it
are two different things. As the Eagles came so
close but failed to reach the Super Bowl year after
year, journalists consistently attributed their failures to the offense
lacking a dynamic playmaker, especially as they sputtered out
late in the season. Phillies' brass saw those criticisms
and during the 2004 offseason, went out and added
arguably the best receiver in the game. It was
the rich getting richer, but landing TO wasn't simple
. After eight tumultuous seasons with the San Francisco 49ers
, the Bay Area squad shipped Owens to the Baltimore
Ravens in an 04 offseason blockbuster trade. The move
wasn't shocking as the relationship between Owens and SF had
long soured. More on that later, but as
Baltimore thought they were landing one of the league's superb
talents, they only found themselves entrenched in a mess
. Following the 003 season, San Francisco's management believed
Owens and his representatives failed to meet the deadline to
void the final year of his contract. Assuming he
was a Niner, they traded him away. Simple
. However, with assistance from the NFL Players Association
, Owens disagreed and filed a grievance challenging the Forty-Niners'
right to make the deal. TO had his own
assumptions, believing he would become a free agent.
So he negotiated with other teams beforehand and reached an
agreement with Philly. Before a final decision on the
grievance was made, the NFL stepped in and all
parties involved settled on a three team trade, officially
sending Owens to the Eagles. Sounds like a headache
, but it's not shocking considering who's involved. TO's
rise in SF from a soft spoken young and soaking
up game alongside legendary receiver Jerry Rice to a premier
wide out in the league drastically changed his reputation.
As Owens leaped into stardom, those quiet labels turned
into, let's see what's the opposite, uh,
loudmouth, jackass, diva. Those aren't my words
. I don't call people names. It's rude.
However, media members and opponents had no problem throwing
those descriptors on TO. Maybe it was the numerous
sideline outbursts, publicly challenging his teammates in the play
calls, or beefing with his ex-head coach Steve Mariucci
. That's just an educated guess, but either way
, TO's time in SF was bound to end poorly
, and now Philly presented a new opportunity. Experts
believe it could be a huge risk inserting a massive
personality like TO's into a rather conservative roster, but
the gamble could lead to a gigantic payoff. Eagles
fans expected a title, which wasn't far-fetched thinking.
Philly's wide receiver room before TO's arrival didn't inspire much
confidence. That's me being nice. Others described them
as just guys, while Owens was the man.
But again, I don't diss people. I'm working
on myself. However, the truth of the matter
is, even in a down year, TO simply
outperformed the bunch. He may be a handful,
but journalists expected Philly to get right back to their
winning ways with the added firepower of Owens. They
were better than ever. Owens dominated as the new
focal point of the offense, playing his way into
MVP contention as the Eagles stomped teams, rolling off
7 straight wins to start the season. TO's past
attitude issues didn't matter as Philly kept winning and Eagles
head coach Andy Reid believed his new star was fully
bought in. The change of scenery seemed to be
doing wonders for Owens. Then it all came crashing
down in week 15. With title hopes in sight
, Philly officials believed there was an outside shot for
Tel to return if the team made it to the
Super Bowl. But even if they did, Owens
, who deemed himself a quick healer, wasn't ready
to make any promises. He seemed committed to pushing
his body to the limits, avoiding anything that could
risk further damage. But if Philly were to make
it to the big game, they would have to
fully constrain him from playing if he wasn't ready.
Owens was optimistic the Eagles could still make the Super
Bowl without him and urged fans not to give up
hope, but media members didn't believe it was that
simple. Without TO Philly would have to revert back
to their everybody eats offensive approach, but with fewer
options. The Eagles desperately needed their other wideouts to
step up, but as Reed mostly benched the starters
to close out the season, experts feared Foley would
collapse in the playoffs. Well, well, well
. While other receivers like Freddie Mitchell did indeed step
up, the Eagles soaring to new heights and finally
reaching the Super Bowl was seen as a collective effort
. Owens was specifically acquired and expected to be the
X factor to finally get Philly over the hump,
but without him, the Eagles proved they were more
than just a one man team. Although it certainly
wouldn't hurt if they were to get that one man
back. A source close to the team said Owens
would not only return for the Super Bowl, but
would play a key role in the game plan.
Coach Reed didn't help temper those flames. After their
conference championship win with Owens by his side, Reed
cheerfully said his star wideout would be back in the
fold, then walked back his comments in the postgame
presser, saying he got swept away in the emotions
. Reed was impressed by TO's progress, but nothing
was certain. Owens boasted his recovery as well,
but it remained a mystery whether he would suit up
. It didn't seem like he had many options medically
. Things such as a hard hit, an uneven
landing, or a bad pivot, AKA all things
that happen routinely on the football field, could have
easily aggravated the injury, further damaging his career.
A member of the NFL Physicians Society believed that Owens
was at least 6 weeks away from being able to
play without risking serious re-injury. It takes time for
the body to properly heal, and doctors believe Owens
simply didn't have enough. This isn't just outside perspectives
either. Owens's surgeon, Doctor Mark Myerson, didn't
feel comfortable clearing TO to play. Medical officials believed
it would be completely unethical if the Eagles allowed TL
to suit up. So that's that. His own
surgeon wouldn't clear him to play, and numerous specialists
said he could jeopardize his career with further injury.
What else is there to talk about here? Well
, this wasn't some normal game. It's the Super
Bowl, the pinnacle event of professional football and a
game that athletes dream of playing in. Owens was
no different. He desperately aimed to do whatever it
took to potentially play in the game, knowing there
was no guarantee he would have another shot at a
title. Sounds like it would be tough to stop
a guy who maniacally repeats, Super Bowl, Super
Bowl to himself during workouts. Media members believe TO
acted selfishly in wanting to play, taking the spotlight
away from the team and making the moment about himself
. Owens' teammates thought those claims were ridiculous and backed
the star, saying even at a reduced role,
TL could provide a spark to the team. But
again, how is any of this even possible?
When I play a single game of pickup basketball,
my back hurts for two days. TO broke his
leg. It doesn't make any sense. For a
lack of a better explanation, because doctors couldn't seem
to describe it either, Owens was built different.
Outside of rehabbing with the team, TL went through
an aggressive accelerated rehab program, which included unconventional training
like daily pool-based workouts, multiple sessions in a hyperbaric
chamber to replenish his body's oxygen, and oddly specific
workouts like strictly picking up towels with his toes to
strengthen his ankles. It sounded a little wacky,
but the results appeared to be paying off. Just
8 days after his initial surgery, X-rays showed the
bone in his ankle was already healing. TL's surgeon
was impressed by his recovery, but still thought the
receiver wasn't ready. The potential damage he could cause
to his ankle was relayed to Owens extensively, but
TL was determined to return, bucking orders from his
doctors, leaving the decision to the receiver and Phillies's
personnel. As his training ramped up, Owens made
great strides in his rehab, and it seemed that
the Eagles trainers were potentially ready to risk it all
. For TO. The decision on whether he would
play or not was never a question. Owens felt
comfortable with his improvement and largely credited his progress to
his faith, saying no one would stop him from
hitting the field. Andy Reid must not have gotten
that memo because despite having a trouble-free practice days before
the Super Bowl, the coach still didn't seem certain
that his star receiver would play. Even Vegas betting
books had odds available on whether Owens would suit up
. Imagine parlaying the winning Gatorade color with whether or
not the dude who broke his leg seven weeks ago
would play or not. What a rush. My
point is, nothing was guaranteed. Come game time
, TO claimed no one in the locker room other
than him knew what he would do. He decided
to play. And holy shit did he ball out
. The Eagles didn't run some type of watered down
scheme to help get Tel involved either. Reed specialized
in the West Coast offense, focusing on getting receivers
in space to allow for yards after the catch,
meaning Owens really thugged it out, cutting on a
bad leg to get free up field to earn some
yak. New England Patriots cornerback Randall Gay couldn't believe
the level of play Owens rose to. If he
was hurt, Gay damn sure couldn't tell. TO
would have surely won MVP if the Eagles hadn't lost
in a tight game. Even in defeat, Owens'
showing is regarded as one of the most courageous and
best single game performances in all of sports. Postgame
, TO fired back at all the critics who called
him selfish, exclaiming he wanted to be out there
to help his team win. The Eagles didn't get
the W, but Owens' efforts certainly pushed them closer
. I get the dude earned a reputation in the
league, which I'm not absolving his behavior, but
calling someone selfish for risking their career and a shot
at winning a title is kind of ridiculous. Ultra
competitive to the point of being psychotic, maybe,
but selfish, nah. The guy did everything he
could in his power to deliver a Super Bowl win
to Philly and sadly still came up short. because
the reality is TL never got that chance again.
While journalists expected the Eagles to continue their run of
dominance in the NFC, especially with an offseason for
TL to rest. What followed was a drama fueled
summer with Owens clashing with the organization and his teammates
, stirring more beef that led to TL's ultimate departure
from Philly. After the Eagles, TL saw plenty
more yards, touchdowns, and drama, but never
came close to a title again. Maybe if Owens
didn't play in that Super Bowl, he could have
spent the offseason getting fully healthy and leaning into the
whole city of brotherly love instead of taking shots at
his QB failing in pressurized situations. Might be a
long shot because TO, but who's to say?
A chance to achieve your biggest dreams, especially when
it's in your grasp, might lead a person to
do crazy things. For TO he didn't achieve it
, but his decision to risk his career and play
in the Super Bowl was a big deal.