Getty Terrell Owens during a December 7, 1997 49ers game.
Terrell Owens has ended his retirement from pro football and will dust off the football cleats and gloves.
And the former San Francisco 49ers wideout — who put together a polarizing yet Hall of Fame worthy career — will be joining a league controlled by the fans.
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The League Owens Will Join
Reported by Reuters on the morning of Thursday, March 31, the 48-year-old Owens will be joining the FCF — best known as Fan Controlled Football.
The league already features former first rounder and Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel who plays for the Zappers. “Johnny Football” will now have a new target to throw to: Owens himself.
“From rallying a rabid fanbase to help build the team, to signing Johnny Manziel as the FCF’s first franchise player, the Zappers won’t let anything stand in their way on the path to the title,” the bio reads on the Zappers’ home page. “The Zappers ownership brings big personality and is set to attack the rest of the league with reckless abandon. You never know what’s coming next from these masterminds, but you can be sure it will be a heck of a good time.”
Adding Owens will all but likely add more intrigue for the team and the league.
About the League
The FCF will hold its second season this year starting on April 16 in Atlanta. It’s primary mission: Allow the fans to be in control of the action by calling the plays.
“FCF is pro football re-imagined for the modern digital world. Real games played in a single, high tech studio arena and streamed live on Twitch,” the league’s mission statement reads on its website.
The league has more of an Arena Football League like feel, as they play indoors and on a shortened field. Except two field differences are the turf is 50 yards long and that the league is in a 7-on-7 format featuring three offensive linemen on the field. An example of the league’s action is below:
The league started out with four teams but will now double its size to eight for season No. 2. But here’s where Owens also comes in: A source told Reuters that Owens himself will be wearing a helmet camera and get mic’d up during the live action.
Owens will also be active away from the football field during the season — he’s additionally lined up to conduct interviews with team owners and players when the Zappers aren’t in action.
The league consists of a seven-game schedule including postseason and all games are played in Atlanta. There are past athletes who have taken an ownership in the league including Owens’ former Buffalo Bills teammate for one season Marshawn Lynch, as the two played together during the 2009 season. Other athletes/celebrities with an owner’s stake in the league per Reuters includes Richard Sherman, Austin Ekeler and Dalvin Cook. The Zappers are owned by the Minnesota Vikings running back Cook and New York Mets pitcher Trevor May.
Owens Now
The 48-year-old Owens is 12 years removed from his last NFL season, which was with the Cincinnati Bengals.
However, this won’t be his first comeback attempt.
Back in 2012, Reuters reported that he joined an Indoor Football League in Texas as a co-owner and star player. However, he was released after eight games and had his ownership stake terminated due to violating his contract.
Owens ended his NFL career with 15,934 receiving yards, 153 touchdowns and 1,078 total catches per Pro Football Reference.
Despite his age, Owens continues to keep himself in shape which includes releasing his personal workout video in April 2021.
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Ex-49ers WR Terrell Owens Making Pro Football Return: Report