“Instead of me having a breakdown, I’m focusing on me having a breakthrough.” It’s just one of the many famous quotes from Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Owens throughout his legendary NFL career. Owens might have been a six-time Pro Bowler, 5-time first-team All-Pro and a winner of numerous other accolades. But none of those would probably be possible without the guidance of one man in Owens’ life. Everyone has their role models growing up, whom they look up to not just for guidance but also for motivation to keep going until they reach the finish line. As for Owens, it was his high school receivers coach whom he owes a lot, having carved out a Hall of Fame career.
See, Owens was drafted out of a relatively unknown Tennessee-Chattanooga by the 49ers in the 1996 NFL draft. Given that Owens didn’t hail from a big school, he had a chip on his shoulder to prove his worth. And boy, he did in some remarkable fashion. His first eight seasons in the Bay Area were spent beside yet another Hall of Famer receiver, Jerry Rice. Owens time in San Francisco saw him lead the team in receptions five times. And even to this date, having left the Niners way back in 2003. Owens still ranks second in the 49ers’ record book in receptions (592), yards (8,572), and TDs (81).
Though he may not have won a Super Bowl there or even franchises he played for later, Owens is still regarded as one of the greatest receivers to have ever graced the gridiron. Well, it’s the values and learnings he learned from his high school receivers coach in Alexander City, Alabama, that helped produce a talent like Owens. But sadly, on Monday, the NFL community was shocked to its core upon learning devastating news through Owens. The one he used to call Coach Powell back in his time playing for the Benjamin Russell football program left him forever.
“On Thursday morning, May 15th around 9:30am PST. I was able to say goodbye to my high school receivers coach, Coach Powell.” Owens wrote on his Instagram in a long tribute dedicated to him. He even credited Coach Powell’s granddaughter, Caity, for allowing him to speak with Powell one last time to say goodbye. “Thanks to his granddaughter Caity, who connected the call as he was literally breathing his last breaths, because just 6 hours or so later, around 3:30pm, my coach was gone…REST IN PEACE COACH ”
Seeing the sorrow that has taken over Owens’ heart, another NFL legend chimed in to express his reaction. Cowboys Hall of Famer QB Troy Aikman also liked the post where Owens reminisced about his time with Coach Powell. Well, the way Owens expressed his last interaction with Powell can make anyone emotional.
Owens pointed out that Powell was so sick he couldn’t even utter a single word on the final call they had. But still, he ensured his high school receivers coach knew how dearly he would miss him. “Although he didn’t respond as I spoke to him. I knew he could hear me as I shared with him that I loved him, I’m gonna miss him.” Aside from expressing the sadness of losing Coach Powell, Owens remembered one lesson from him that changed his career forever.
Terrell Owens’ roll back the years to bid Coach Powell a deserved farewell
If at all, anyone who knew how to give the perfect farewell, it’s probably Terrell Owens. He may have achieved a lot in his career. Played under a plethora of coaches. But when it came to remembering his roots, Owens knew every single detail. In the parting message, he wrote to Coach Powell, Owens took a moment to share the first interaction he had with him. Make no mistake, it wasn’t just a normal conversation for Owens. The thing he learned from that interaction with Coach Powell made him the star he was in his day. “I’ll never forget one of the first varsity practices, Coach Powell asking and then telling us the most important thing about being one of “his receivers.”
And the most important thing “was to be able to block first, then be able to catch the football second,” Owens added. Yep, it wasn’t just about throwing your body at the ball. Instead, it was about positioning yourself in a way no one would have dared intercept the pass. Well, that lesson apparently worked wonders for Owens. “I carried that mindset from high school, college onto the NFL,” Owens mused. In his 16 seasons in the NFL, Owens recorded more than 60 catches in 13 of them. So, you can easily guess how Owens made use of that tip Powell gave him while he was still a relatively unknown entity.
But that’s the beauty of the game. You just never know where the biggest stars of the gridiron can hail from. As for Terrell Owens, he came from a small city in Alabama. Once he was done with his career, he reigned supreme over thousands of others. Of course, all thanks to Coach Powell. R.I.P.
The post “Rest In Peace Coach”: Troy Aikman Joins Terrell Owens as NFL Legends Mourn Alabama Hero’s Demise appeared first on EssentiallySports.
