Reuters, March 31 – Terrell Owens, one of the best receivers in NFL history, has agreed to come out of retirement and play in the new Fan Controlled Football league, according to a source who spoke to Reuters on Thursday.
According to the source, Terrell Owens, who retired from the NFL in 2010, is in terrific shape and wants to prove he can still play at a high level. An official announcement is planned next week.
During a 15-year NFL career that landed him a position in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Owens, whose talent and athleticism on the field were unquestionable, became known for his hilarious touchdown celebrations.
Owens is by far the most well-known athlete to join Fan Controlled Football, which also includes former college great Johnny Manziel, whose much-hyped NFL career ended after two seasons.
Owens will most likely join the Zappers with Manziel, who recently announced his return to Fan Controlled Football for the second season.
Owens will be mic’d up and wearing a helmet camera during games, according to the source. When he is not playing, he will contribute content for streaming service fuboTV by interviewing team owners and players during games.
ALSO READ: Rahsaan Lewis, Ray Lewis’s Son, Has Reportedly Been Arrested
The league, which will expand to eight teams for its second season, is a condensed 7-on-7 version of American football played on a 50-yard indoor field that functions as a real-life video game with fans calling the plays.
All games will be played in a single Atlanta facility throughout the seven-week regular season, which will be followed by playoffs.
Owens has made a comeback before, joining a Texas-based Indoor Football League team as a co-owner and top player in 2012. After eight games, he was released and his ownership stake was cancelled due to a contract violation.
Owens’ reputation as an on-field entertainer began in 2000, when he rushed to midfield and stood on the Dallas Cowboys‘ blue star emblem while staring aloft with outstretched arms after scoring a touchdown as a member of the San Francisco 49ers. Dallas fans were not amused, but when he became one of their own six years later, they accepted him.
Whether it was signing a game ball with a Sharpie hidden in his sock, dancing with cheerleaders, or pouring a spectator’s bucket of popcorn into his helmeted face, the flamboyant wide receiver found numerous innovative methods to celebrate touchdowns.
ALSO READ: Fans Respond To Michigan’s Colin Kaepernick’s Decision
Aside from his end-zone theatrics, Owens was a productive receiver with terrific skills and a flair for making huge plays during his five-year NFL career, which spanned 1996 to 2010.
Owens’ 15,934 receiving yards were second in the NFL all-time list at the time of his retirement, while his 153 touchdown receptions ranked third.
