National Football League

Voter Dan Fouts explains why Terrell Owens didn't make the Hall of Fame

Published Feb. 16, 2017 7:38 p.m. ET

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Nick Schwartz

Terrell Owens is one of the most polarizing players in NFL history, but from a purely statistical standpoint, the five-time All-Pro should have been a shoe-in to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Owens is second in all-time receiving yards (15,934), third in career receiving touchdowns (153), and eighth in receptions (1,078), yet Owens was surprisingly snubbed for a second consecutive year after becoming eligible in 2016. Hall of Famer and selection committee member Dan Fouts told 104.5 The Zone that he thinks Owens was given a fair shot by the committee, but his reputation as a bad teammate kept him out of Canton.

 

ESPN via 104.5 The Zone:

"I think his numbers are very worthy, but again on the other side of it, I think his actions on and off the field, on the sidelines, in the locker room, and the fact he played for so many teams and was such a great player. The question that comes back to me is if he was such a great player, why did so many of those teams get rid of him? And I think we all know the answers.

"I think he did receive a fair evaluation of his career, both pros and cons. But obviously ripping the Hall of Fame in the process, what good is that going to do. I just don't understand that. I didn't understand a lot of things he did in his career."

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