Terrell Owens joined Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison, Cris Carter, Tim Brown and Isaac Bruce in the 1,000-catch club on Sunday. Rice will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2010 — his first year of eligibility — and he’ll likely be joined by Harrison, Carter, Brown and Bruce some day. But does T.O. deserve to have a bust in Canton?
It’s hard to ignore Owens’ antics and self-promotion, but let’s try and look solely at his production on the field.
Owens is a six-time Pro Bowler and five-time first-team All-Pro. He is fourth all-time in receiving yards, third in receiving touchdowns and was the third fastest to reach 1,000 catches — in 203 games.
By those numbers it’s hard to argue against his enshrinement, but T.O. is playing during the most pass-happy era of the NFL and has benefited from pass-first systems in San Francisco, Philadelphia and Dallas.
To compare him to another receiver of his era: Randy Moss — who is four years younger than Owens — has more touchdowns and only 496 fewer receiving yards than T.O. It’s Moss who has been the best receiver of the decade, but Owens isn’t too far behind.
T.O. has never been a fan favorite — or even liked by some teammates — but expect his abilities on the field to warrant a Hall of Fame induction for one of the most polarizing figures of his generation.
