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Terrell Owens, one of the best wide receivers in NFL history, announced recently that he will not attend the 2018 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Instead, Owens will give his induction speech at his alma mater, the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.

"After giving it much thought I have realized just how much I want to celebrate what will inevitably be the best weekend of my life at a place that means so much to me," Owens wrote in a message posted to Twitter.

"I'm proud to be a Moc, and I'm honored to share this experience with my family, friends, teammates and fans at the place that provided me an opportunity beyond high school and where I truly began to find myself as an athlete. Thank you to everyone who has supported my celebration decision. I look forward to seeing you all in Chattanooga. Getcha popcorn ready!"

The Hall of Fame is matching Owens by excluding him entirely from the induction proceedings, the Hall's executive director told Clark Judge of the Talk of Fame Network.

Owens will not be introduced for Friday night's Gold Jacket ceremony, nor will he be announced the following night at Canton's annual induction ceremony, said the Hall's executive director, Joe Horrigan.

"The focus," Horrigan said, "is on the guys who are here."

And that excludes Owens.

Instead, the Hall of Fame will simply mail Owens his gold jacket first thing Saturday -- the morning after the rest of the Class of 2018 receives their jackets. Owens will still appear on materials featuring the entire Hall of Fame class, but "There's no reason to bring him up as an individual," Horrigan said. "He's not here."

Terrell Owens doesn't want any part of ceremonies in Canton, Ohio, but he wants in north of the border.

The 44-year-old former All-Pro, who is less than a month from being enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, wants to add an extra chapter to his playing career in a league that plays with an extra man. Owens has activated a clause that will force the Edmonton Eskimos, the Canadian Football League team that owns his rights, to either offer him a contract or release him from their control within 10 days, according to TSN.

"Absolutely 100 percent," Owens' agent Jason Staroszik told TSN's Dave Naylor when asked about Owens' interest in playing in the CFL. "He still feels like he has some football years left in him. He just loves the game and wants to get back to playing whether it's the CFL or NFL."

Owens hasn't played a down of professional football since he suited up for the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League in 2011. He played his last NFL snap as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2010 season, in which he caught 72 passes for 983 yards and nine touchdowns.

He signed a one-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks in 2012, but was released in less than a month's time.

cblaz11 wrote:Ya, this is exactly why TO was begging for a job the last couple years of his career and for me, a big reason he shouldn't have been a hall of famer. Part of being the best, is being a great teammate.

Sugashane wrote:You hear about how a lot of these guys are assholes, in the NFL and other sports. Who cares? Football is a game about winning, not about popularity. Lewis was an accessory to murder FFS. Never hear anyone bash him for that or say he shouldn't be in the Hall.