Questions Remain About Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens has done a lot of things to draw attention to himself the last six years. His latest turn in the spotlight is one he'd rather forget.
Swallowing a bottle full of pain killers? Attempted suicide? Depression?
No, no, no, T.O. said, calling the saga that swirled around him Wednesday a big misunderstanding.
"The rumor of me taking 35 pills, I think, is absurd," Owens said at the end of a confusing half day capped by his explanation of what happened. "No, I'm not depressed. I'm happy to be here."
The media whirlwind didn't surprise anyone, reports CBS News correspondent Lee Cowan. Owens thrives off controversy, and his stunts are legendary, whether it's grand standing by signing footballs in the end zone, or grabbing a cheerleader's pompom. His Super Bowl appearance against New England two years ago was called heroic, coming back from a fractured leg to catch nine passes for 122 yards.
Owens participated in practice Thursday for the first time since breaking his right hand a week ago Sunday. If all goes well, he thinks he can play for the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in Tennessee.
Owens is listed as questionable, same as he was Tuesday afternoon, hours before an ambulance took him to an emergency room and he spent the night in a hospital.
"It was just an allergic reaction," Owens said. "It's very unfortunate for the reports to go from an allergic reaction to a definite suicide attempt."
According to Owens, he made the mistake of mixing prescription pain pills with the all-natural supplements he ordinarily takes. The combination left him woozy and his publicist, who was with him at his Dallas condo, became worried when he couldn't respond to her questions. Having also discovered an empty bottle of pills, she called 911 around 8 p.m. Tuesday.
But around 8 a.m. Wednesday, the story took a radical turn. A Dallas television station got hold of an unreleased police report and reported that it stated a suicide attempt was called in, that Owens was described as being depressed, that 35 pills were missing and that Owens said he was trying to harm himself.Read the Terrell Owens police report (.pdf)
The police and fire department followed by holding news conferences that provided few answers. Questions lingered, even as Owens left the hospital flashing a thumb's up sign to reporters.
Cowboys coach Bill Parcells held his daily news briefing before Owens spoke. He professed not to know any details, then cut the session off early once he was getting hardly anything but questions about Owens.
"When I find out what the hell is going on, you will know," Parcells said, getting up to leave. "Until then, I'm not getting interrogated for no reason."
Owens, who received a $25 million, three-year deal from the Cowboys in March, four days after the Eagles released him, made it to team headquarters in time to catch some passes from quarterbacks Drew Bledsoe and Tony Romo. He then showed up to a packed news conference wearing workout gear and his usual wide smile.
T.O. seemed more amused than peeved. He apologized for being a distraction, thanked his friends for worrying about him and said he is "not depressed by any means."
Owens' longtime personal trainer and former roommate told the Dallas Morning News there was ample reason for friends to think Owens might have been depressed. James "Buddy" Primm says Owens on Monday missed the birthday of his 7-year-old son and his longtime girlfriend broke up with him. Primm told the paper Owens is really "a gentle soul" and a "caring, highly sensitive" man with a fragile psyche.
The trainer also said he doesn't think Owens tried to commit suicide, just took medication he wasn't used to, and woke up "weird."
Owens told reporters he is especially eager to play a week from Sunday, when Dallas plays at Philadelphia, offering him his first chance to beat the team that gave up on him midway through last season.
Etheredge also spoke at the news conference, telling her side of the story and criticizing the police report that found its way to reporters before sections were blacked out. About half the information was obscured once it was officially released.
"I am just upset that I just feel they take advantage of Terrell," she said. "Had this been someone else, this may not have happened."
Dallas police officials declined to comment on Etheredge's denials, citing privacy laws.
"Too proud of a guy to do that," said Vikings receiver Billy McMullen, who played with Owens the last 1½ seasons in Philadelphia. "Too much going on. Too much faith in him. Too much God in him to do that."
Owens has played two games for the Cowboys, catching nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. He broke the bone leading to his right ring finger against Washington. The next day, doctors screwed in a plate so the bone could heal without fear of further damage, leaving a 2-inch scar on top of his hand.