“I honestly could have died" - NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens feared 'wrong type of cops' during Karen incident
Terrell Owens may be an NFL Hall of Famer, but even he isn't immune to the same fears and dangers plaguing millions in the modern American social landscape.
According to American Newswire, he was out driving to the mailbox in his neighborhood late at night when a neighbor approached him with an issue she had with his behavior.
She called him out for speeding. When he verbally defended himself, the woman called the police while sobbing out of fear, saying he was a "black man approaching a white woman."
Owens scoffed at the situation, but waited for the boys in blue to show up. While waiting, he confessed that he essentially feared he would be racially profiled by the officers en route.
The Hall of Famer felt that if the wrong officer had shown up, he could have been killed. Here's how Owens put it, according to TMZ Sports via American Newswire:
“If the wrong type of cops came out, if they got the wrong type of information. You saw the video. She started crying, you never know how that situation could’ve turned. I could’ve died. Honestly, I could have died and the storyline would be totally different.”
Here is the video recorded the night of the incident:
Terrell Owens' career
When Terrell Owens was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 1996, the team had decent hopes for the wide receiver.
As per Pro Football Reference, his third-round selection indicated that the team didn't expect too much from him. However, over the next eight years, he proved his worth.
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His rookie year didn't exactly jump off the statsheet. In 1996, he caught 35 passes for 520 yards and four touchdowns. It took him until 1998 to earn his first 1000-yard season.
Owens also caught 14 touchdowns that year, putting him on the map. Between then and the conclusion of his time with the team at the end of the 2003 season, he had four more years in which he earned at least 1000 yards.
In total, Terrell Owens had five seasons in which he earned at least 1000 yards and three in which he recorded at least 1300 yards. However, the team and the receiver split up after 2003. Owens then landed with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he continued to flourish.
His time with Philadelphia was short, lasting just two years, but he earned almost 2000 yards in his time with the team. He next went to the Dallas Cowboys in 2006 and stuck with the team until the end of the 2008 season. Owens earned more than 1000 yards in all three seasons in Dallas.
In 2009, he went to Buffalo, catching 55 passes for 829 yards and five touchdowns. In his final season in the NFL, the receiver joined the Cincinnati Bengals and caught 72 passes for 983 yards and nine touchdowns.