Image via Collision Conf / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0). Terrell Owens in 2017.
Terrell Owens is back on screens this week. A new film about his life, Terrell & T.O., came out on Prime Video on Thursday 5 November 2026. It runs 1 hour 43 minutes and is directed by Alexandria Stapleton for NFL Films. Jerry Rice, Steve Young, Tony Romo and Jerry Jones are among the people who talk about him in it.
Owens was one of the best wide receivers the NFL has ever seen. He played 15 seasons, caught 1,078 passes for 15,934 yards and scored 153 touchdowns. He ranks third all time in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. He went into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018. He is 52 now, and the film is a reminder of how good he was and how loud the arguments around him got.
Seven weeks after breaking his leg
The best way to understand Owens is one game. It was Super Bowl XXXIX on 6 February 2005. Seven weeks earlier he had broken his right leg and torn a ligament in his ankle. The injury came from a horse-collar tackle by Dallas safety Roy Williams on 19 December 2004. He had surgery, with a screw put into his leg. His doctors did not clear him to play.
He played anyway. He caught nine passes for 122 yards against the New England Patriots. He was on the field for 62 of the Eagles' 72 offensive snaps. The Eagles still lost 24-21, but his performance is still talked about as one of the bravest in Super Bowl history. The film spends time on that night, and on what it cost him.
Growing up in Alexander City
Terrell Eldorado Owens was born on 7 December 1973 in Alexander City, Alabama. His mother was Marilyn Heard, and his father was her neighbour, L.C. Russell. He was raised by his mother and his grandmother. He grew up with three siblings. He did not start for his high school football team until his senior year.
He went to Benjamin Russell High School in Alexander City. Then he took a scholarship to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He played football, basketball and track there, and he played in the NCAA basketball tournament in 1995. He wore the number 80 in honour of his hero, Jerry Rice. The 49ers picked him in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft, 89th overall.
Image via Collision Conf / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0). Owens in New Orleans in 2017.
Eight years in San Francisco
Owens spent his first eight seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, from 1996 to 2003. He learned behind Rice, then took over as the team's top receiver. His breakout moment came in a wild-card playoff game against the Green Bay Packers on 3 January 1999. He had dropped several passes. Then, with three seconds left, he caught the winning touchdown from Steve Young for a 30-27 win. It is known as The Catch II.
On 17 December 2000 he caught 20 passes for 283 yards against the Chicago Bears. That broke a 50-year-old single-game record held by Tom Fears. Brandon Marshall later passed it with 21 catches in 2009. Owens led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 2001 and 2002, with 16 and 13. He made the Pro Bowl in five straight seasons from 2000 to 2004 and was a first-team All-Pro five times.
| Years | Team | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–2003 | San Francisco 49ers | 592 | 8,572 | 81 |
| 2004–2005 | Philadelphia Eagles | 124 | 1,963 | 20 |
| 2006–2008 | Dallas Cowboys | 235 | 3,587 | 38 |
| 2009 | Buffalo Bills | 55 | 829 | 5 |
| 2010 | Cincinnati Bengals | 72 | 983 | 9 |
| Career total | Five teams, 15 seasons | 1,078 | 15,934 | 153 |
Philadelphia, Dallas and the road after
Owens joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004. He had 77 catches for 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns in his first season there. The Eagles reached the Super Bowl that year, which is where the broken-leg game happened. The next season fell apart. He was suspended and then cut after a long fight with the team over his contract and his public criticism of quarterback Donovan McNabb.
He signed with the Dallas Cowboys in 2006. He led the league in receiving touchdowns again that year, with 13. He stayed three seasons in Dallas, then played one year each with the Buffalo Bills in 2009 and the Cincinnati Bengals in 2010. His last NFL catch came in 2010. He later played indoor football with the Allen Wranglers in 2012 and turned up for the FCF Zappers in 2022, but the NFL years are the career that counts.
The league still measures receivers against his numbers. On Thursday Night Football this week, the Jaguars beat the Ravens 33-10, and Derrick Henry passed Jerome Bettis and LaDainian Tomlinson to move to seventh all time in rushing yards. Trevor Lawrence, the Jaguars' quarterback, threw for 197 yards in the first half of that game. Owens played in a different era, but the record book still has his name all over it.
The celebrations people still talk about
Owens was famous for his touchdown celebrations as well as his catches. On 24 September 2000 he scored against Dallas and stood on the Cowboys' star at midfield. On 14 October 2002, in a Monday night game at Seattle, he pulled a Sharpie out of his sock, signed the ball and handed it to a fan. On 15 December 2002 he borrowed a cheerleader's pom-poms after a touchdown against Green Bay.
When he joined the Cowboys he told reporters to "get your popcorn ready". On 29 November 2007, after scoring against Green Bay, he poured popcorn into his face mask. In the summer of 2005, during his contract fight with the Eagles, he did sit-ups in his driveway in front of the cameras. The moments were fun for fans and a headache for his coaches. They are a big part of why the new film exists.
| Quick Facts | Terrell Owens |
|---|---|
| Full name | Terrell Eldorado Owens |
| Born | 7 December 1973, Alexander City, Alabama |
| Age | 52 (turns 53 on 7 December 2026) |
| Nationality | American |
| Zodiac | Sagittarius |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Profession | Former NFL wide receiver |
| Years active | 1996–2010 (NFL) |
| Education | Benjamin Russell High School; University of Tennessee at Chattanooga |
| Parents | Marilyn Heard and L.C. Russell |
| Siblings | Three (Latasha, Sharmaine and Victor) |
| Children | Four (Terique, Atlin, Kylee and Dasha) |
| Net worth | About $500,000 (Celebrity Net Worth estimate) |
The numbers that made the Hall of Fame
Owens was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018, in his third year of eligibility. He chose not to attend the ceremony in Canton, Ohio. He held his own celebration at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on the same day instead. He had waited three years for the call, and he felt the delay was unfair. He still took his place in the Hall.
| Record or highlight | Detail |
|---|---|
| The Catch II | Game-winning touchdown vs Green Bay, 3 January 1999, with three seconds left |
| 20 catches in one game | 20 receptions, 283 yards vs Chicago Bears, 17 December 2000 (NFL record at the time) |
| Touchdowns vs every team | First player in NFL history to catch a touchdown against all 32 teams |
| Receiving touchdowns leader | Led the NFL in 2001 (16), 2002 (13) and 2006 (13) |
| Super Bowl XXXIX | 9 catches, 122 yards on a broken leg, 6 February 2005 |
| Career ranks | Third all time in receiving yards (15,934) and receiving touchdowns (153); eighth in receptions (1,078) |
| Award or honour | Year |
|---|---|
| Pro Bowl | 6 times (2000–2004, 2007) |
| First-team All-Pro | 5 times (2000–2002, 2004, 2007) |
| NFL 2000s All-Decade Team | 2000s |
| San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame | Inducted |
| University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Athletics Hall of Fame | 2003 |
| Pro Football Hall of Fame | 2018 |
Image via Erik Drost / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0). Owens at a celebrity softball game.
Family and life after football
Owens has never married. He has four children: two sons, Terique and Atlin, and two daughters, Kylee and Dasha. Terique followed him into football as a wide receiver and signed with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2024. Kylee plays volleyball at Prairie View A&M University.
After football he stayed in the public eye. He finished seventh on Dancing with the Stars in 2009. He had his own VH1 reality show, The T.O. Show, from 2009 to 2011. He also appeared on Celebrity Apprentice in 2015. He still trains hard and still talks about the game. The documentary is the latest chapter in a career that never really left the spotlight.
What is Terrell Owens' net worth?
Celebrity Net Worth puts his net worth at about $500,000. That is an estimate, not a filed figure. Other sites print higher numbers, up to around $10 million, but the $500,000 figure is the one most sources repeat. He earned about $80 million from his NFL contracts and endorsements over his career. He has spoken openly about losing most of it through bad investments, high spending and child support payments for his four children. He talked about what he learned from it in a 2018 interview with CNBC.
FAQs
How old is Terrell Owens? He was born on 7 December 1973, so he is 52. He turns 53 on 7 December 2026.
What are Terrell Owens' career stats? In 15 NFL seasons he caught 1,078 passes for 15,934 yards and 153 touchdowns. He ranks third all time in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
When did Terrell Owens go into the Hall of Fame? He was voted in as part of the class of 2018. He skipped the Canton ceremony and held his own celebration at Chattanooga instead.
Did Terrell Owens play in the Super Bowl with a broken leg? Yes. Seven weeks after breaking his right leg and tearing an ankle ligament, he played in Super Bowl XXXIX on 6 February 2005 and caught nine passes for 122 yards.
Is Terrell Owens married? No. He has never married. He has four children.
Where can I watch Terrell & T.O.? The documentary premiered on Prime Video on 5 November 2026. It runs 1 hour 43 minutes and is directed by Alexandria Stapleton.
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