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He had to wait a couple years, but former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens will finally be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.
Owens was expected to make the Hall of Fame in 2017, but he was left out for a second straight year. Owens was vocal about his frustration with the process on Twitter.
He tweeted his congratulations to the rest of the 2018 class on Saturday night in an Instagram post:
Last year, Owens expressed his disappointment in not making it in:
Unfortunately I DID NOT MAKE IT again this year. Thanks to ALL my fans & supporters. #FlawedProcess
— Terrell Owens (@terrellowens) February 4, 2017
That’s why Owens wasn’t in Minneapolis when the class was informed of their selection.
I asked Hall of Fame president David Baker about Terrell Owens. He said he got nervous and flew home to California from Minnesota and he’s now flying back after making the Hall. “He flew home yesterday. He told some of my staff. I was not available.’’
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) February 4, 2018
As SB Nation’s Harry Lyles Jr. pointed out last year, Owens getting left out of the Hall of Fame was both outlandish but pretty typical for great receivers of the past:
The Hall of Fame has been known to be unreasonably slow to elect wide receivers. Only four have ever gotten in on the first ballot: Jerry Rice, Steve Largent, Paul Warfield, and Raymond Berry.
Owens had a 15-year career that included nine 1,000+ yard receiving seasons. He finished his career eighth in NFL history with 1,078 receptions and second in receiving yards with 15,934. He also had 153 total scores, which is good for third all-time among wide receivers. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro five times.
Owens played in a Super Bowl with a broken leg. He had nine catches for 122 yards in that game. That’s Hall of Fame type stuff, even if his team lost that game.
He had the numbers to get in. He’s one of the best all time at his position.
Owens finished his NFL career in 2010 with the Cincinnati Bengals. Over his 15-year NFL career, he made six Pro Bowls and had five first-team All-Pro selections.
Not only was Owens one of the most exciting receivers in the game, he was one of the most fun players to have played it. Some of his more unforgettable antics on the field included when he stood on the Dallas Cowboys’ star, stuffed his face with popcorn from a fan, shook pom poms from a cheerleader, and pulled a marker out of his sock and signed a football.
Congrats to Owens on his well-deserved induction. His speech in Canton should most certainly be one for the ages.
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