A trusting T.O. is star Cowboys can bank on
By CALVIN WATKINS
The Dallas Morning News
IRVING – A storm of reporters hover around three players on a weekly basis in the Cowboys locker room.
Tony Romo, who upper management believes has the skills to become a franchise quarterback, is one.
Bradie James, the inside linebacker and voice of the defense, is another.
And then there's Terrell Owens, the petulant wide receiver who speaks to the media only on Wednesdays. This week, reporters cornered Owens, who talked calmly about the Cowboys' season that starts Sunday.
For the first time since he signed a three-year, $25 million contract, Owens appears to have found peace after a tumultuous first season with the Cowboys. If this peace translates to dominance on the field, the Cowboys will take it.
"I am [at peace]," Owens said of his relaxed state. "Anytime you can go into a season without any legitimate distractions, and it doesn't weigh heavily on your mind, yeah, you're going to go out there and play free. You're just going to have an overall better feeling about yourself."
Owens said several off-season changes have brought him to this point.
Bill Parcells, who had a confrontational style which bothered Owens, is gone. He's been replaced by Wade Phillips, who coaches with a firm, yet casual approach.
Receivers coach Todd Haley is gone. Haley would stand outside the meeting rooms at Valley Ranch, checking to see if players arrived on time. Haley and Owens clashed throughout the season.
But in comes Ray Sherman, who gives and commands the respect of his players. He doesn't yell and is more of a teacher to the wide receivers.
Owens trusts Phillips and Sherman.
"I talked to T.O. about it," Romo said. "And he feels like you don't want to let the head man down because he allows you to be a professional, and if you let him down, it hurts him. It hurts T.O. to let someone down who really trusts in you. So I think the relationship is going to work real well."
This is not to say Owens is changing into a quiet man.
He probably will continue his end zone celebrations, play to the crowd, believe he's the best wide receiver in the game, and if necessary, complain about how he's used in the offense.
And he will continue to wear sunglasses inside when he's doing postgame news conferences. Owens is still a national celebrity. He recently was featured in a Time magazine article and appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel show.
But Owens, 33, is getting older while playing a young man's position.
People who know Owens said he's confiding in more people. He didn't know whom to trust last season. He built a bond with reserve wide receiver Sam Hurd and veteran Terry Glenn – but hardly anybody else.
Now, something has changed.
Owens went to an NBA Finals game with strong safety Roy Williams; he plays dominos with many of his teammates, including James during lunch time; he pals around with Romo.
"Just talking to him, and you can tell from conversations, there's a shift in his mind and his spirit," said Anthony Gardner, an Owens confidant who is the pastor of a church in Delran, N.J.
Gardner was at Owens' home the night the receiver had an accidental overdose last year.
"He's at peace with himself," Gardner said. "Terrell has a very strong mind in himself, and once he gets in touch with the gift that he has, the rest of it is just easy for him. I think what he feels now is he feels like he can trust those guys."
Owens led the team in receptions (85), receiving yards (1,180) and a NFL-best 13 touchdown catches last season. However, he had a league-leading 17 dropped passes.
It wasn't a dominating effort for a player who considers himself one of the best in the game.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones would like to see the Owens who can dominate. The Owens who had five 1,000-yard seasons and four double-digit touchdowns seasons in San Francisco. In Philadelphia, he scored 20 touchdowns in 21 games before his 2005 season was shortened by a suspension.
"I think he wants to have the best year he's ever had," Jones said.
When Owens arrived here last year, he told everyone to get the popcorn ready because it was going to be a show.
At times, the popcorn tasted stale because of the broken hand, accidental overdose, arguments with Haley, dropped passes and numerous team fines for various transgressions.
The 2007 version of Owens promises to be different, if not peaceful.
"Just overall," he said. "That includes off the field. And I think what's missing is I have never had off-the-field problems. That is a credit to the way my family raised me. I know right from wrong just as well as other guys. I just tend not to put myself in situations where things may come up."
ACTIVE NFL LEADERS
RECEIVING YARDS
1. Marvin Harrison, Ind., 13,780
2. Isaac Bruce, St. L., 13,376
3. Terrell Owens, Dal., 11,715
RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS
1. Marvin Harrison, Ind., 123
2. Terrell Owens, Dal., 114
3. Randy Moss, N.E., 101
The Dallas Morning News
IRVING – A storm of reporters hover around three players on a weekly basis in the Cowboys locker room.
Tony Romo, who upper management believes has the skills to become a franchise quarterback, is one.
Bradie James, the inside linebacker and voice of the defense, is another.
And then there's Terrell Owens, the petulant wide receiver who speaks to the media only on Wednesdays. This week, reporters cornered Owens, who talked calmly about the Cowboys' season that starts Sunday.
For the first time since he signed a three-year, $25 million contract, Owens appears to have found peace after a tumultuous first season with the Cowboys. If this peace translates to dominance on the field, the Cowboys will take it.
"I am [at peace]," Owens said of his relaxed state. "Anytime you can go into a season without any legitimate distractions, and it doesn't weigh heavily on your mind, yeah, you're going to go out there and play free. You're just going to have an overall better feeling about yourself."
Owens said several off-season changes have brought him to this point.
Bill Parcells, who had a confrontational style which bothered Owens, is gone. He's been replaced by Wade Phillips, who coaches with a firm, yet casual approach.
Receivers coach Todd Haley is gone. Haley would stand outside the meeting rooms at Valley Ranch, checking to see if players arrived on time. Haley and Owens clashed throughout the season.
But in comes Ray Sherman, who gives and commands the respect of his players. He doesn't yell and is more of a teacher to the wide receivers.
Owens trusts Phillips and Sherman.
"I talked to T.O. about it," Romo said. "And he feels like you don't want to let the head man down because he allows you to be a professional, and if you let him down, it hurts him. It hurts T.O. to let someone down who really trusts in you. So I think the relationship is going to work real well."
This is not to say Owens is changing into a quiet man.
He probably will continue his end zone celebrations, play to the crowd, believe he's the best wide receiver in the game, and if necessary, complain about how he's used in the offense.
And he will continue to wear sunglasses inside when he's doing postgame news conferences. Owens is still a national celebrity. He recently was featured in a Time magazine article and appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel show.
But Owens, 33, is getting older while playing a young man's position.
People who know Owens said he's confiding in more people. He didn't know whom to trust last season. He built a bond with reserve wide receiver Sam Hurd and veteran Terry Glenn – but hardly anybody else.
Now, something has changed.
Owens went to an NBA Finals game with strong safety Roy Williams; he plays dominos with many of his teammates, including James during lunch time; he pals around with Romo.
"Just talking to him, and you can tell from conversations, there's a shift in his mind and his spirit," said Anthony Gardner, an Owens confidant who is the pastor of a church in Delran, N.J.
Gardner was at Owens' home the night the receiver had an accidental overdose last year.
"He's at peace with himself," Gardner said. "Terrell has a very strong mind in himself, and once he gets in touch with the gift that he has, the rest of it is just easy for him. I think what he feels now is he feels like he can trust those guys."
Owens led the team in receptions (85), receiving yards (1,180) and a NFL-best 13 touchdown catches last season. However, he had a league-leading 17 dropped passes.
It wasn't a dominating effort for a player who considers himself one of the best in the game.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones would like to see the Owens who can dominate. The Owens who had five 1,000-yard seasons and four double-digit touchdowns seasons in San Francisco. In Philadelphia, he scored 20 touchdowns in 21 games before his 2005 season was shortened by a suspension.
"I think he wants to have the best year he's ever had," Jones said.
When Owens arrived here last year, he told everyone to get the popcorn ready because it was going to be a show.
At times, the popcorn tasted stale because of the broken hand, accidental overdose, arguments with Haley, dropped passes and numerous team fines for various transgressions.
The 2007 version of Owens promises to be different, if not peaceful.
"Just overall," he said. "That includes off the field. And I think what's missing is I have never had off-the-field problems. That is a credit to the way my family raised me. I know right from wrong just as well as other guys. I just tend not to put myself in situations where things may come up."
ACTIVE NFL LEADERS
RECEIVING YARDS
1. Marvin Harrison, Ind., 13,780
2. Isaac Bruce, St. L., 13,376
3. Terrell Owens, Dal., 11,715
RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS
1. Marvin Harrison, Ind., 123
2. Terrell Owens, Dal., 114
3. Randy Moss, N.E., 101
posted by The Gryphon at 8:09 AM
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