- 1 week ago
How far would you go to achieve your ultimate goal? Would ya do it if it involved potentially harming your livelihood? Or would you rather I stop the hypothetical questions and give ya more context? Fine. Three weeks before the 2004 NFL postseason, the red-hot 12-1 Philadelphia Eagles lost their engine on offense when wide receiver Terelll Owens severely broke his leg.
T.O.’s injury required him to undergo surgery, inserting a metal plate and screws in his leg. Ten weeks, at best, was the expected time to heal. Even if Philly were to make a seven-week deep playoff run to the title, specialists believed Owens would be throwing his career away if he made a return. Sure, Philly made it to the Super Bowl, and Owens hinted at playing, but the medical world thought he would be foolish to do so. T.O.’s own surgeon didn’t clear him to play. SO WHY THE HELL IS HE PLAYING HERE?!? T.O.’s decision to play in the Super Bowl was a big deal.
T.O.’s injury required him to undergo surgery, inserting a metal plate and screws in his leg. Ten weeks, at best, was the expected time to heal. Even if Philly were to make a seven-week deep playoff run to the title, specialists believed Owens would be throwing his career away if he made a return. Sure, Philly made it to the Super Bowl, and Owens hinted at playing, but the medical world thought he would be foolish to do so. T.O.’s own surgeon didn’t clear him to play. SO WHY THE HELL IS HE PLAYING HERE?!? T.O.’s decision to play in the Super Bowl was a big deal.
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00:00How far would you go to achieve your ultimate goal?
00:04Would you do it if it involved potentially harming your livelihood?
00:08Or would you rather me stop the hypothetical questions and give you more context?
00:13Fine.
00:14Three weeks before the 2004 NFL postseason,
00:18the red-hot 12-1 Philadelphia Eagles lost their engine on offense
00:22when wide receiver Terrell Owens got pulled to the ground from behind on this play.
00:27It's safe to say that a human leg isn't meant to bend that way
00:31and after the game, the diagnosis confirmed what the eye could see.
00:36The severity of T.O.'s injury required him to undergo surgery,
00:40inserting a metal plate and screws in his leg.
00:44Ten weeks, at best, was the expected time to heal.
00:49Even if Philly were to make a seven-week deep playoff run to the title,
00:53specialists believed Owens would be throwing away his career
00:56if he made a return.
00:58Okay, so what Philly made it to the Super Bowl?
01:02Owens hinted at playing,
01:04but the medical world thought he would be foolish to do so.
01:08T.O.'s surgeon didn't clear him to play.
01:11I said your surgeon didn't clear you.
01:14Why are you being heroic?
01:17T.O.'s decision to play in the Super Bowl was a big deal.
01:21It's kind of wild that T.O.'s a part of this Philly team to begin with.
01:30Sands Owens, the Eagles dominated the early 2000s,
01:34reaching three straight NFC conference championships.
01:38However, making it to the championship and actually winning it are two different things.
01:43As the Eagles came so close but failed to reach the Super Bowl year after year,
01:49journalists consistently attributed their failures to the offense lacking a dynamic playmaker,
01:54especially as they sputtered out late in the season.
01:58Philly's brass saw those criticisms and during the 2004 offseason,
02:02went out and added arguably the best receiver in the game.
02:07It was the rich getting richer, but landing T.O. wasn't simple.
02:11After eight tumultuous seasons with the San Francisco 49ers,
02:16the Bay Area squad shipped Owens to the Baltimore Ravens in an 0-4 offseason blockbuster trade.
02:23The move wasn't shocking as the relationship between Owens and SF had long soured,
02:28more on that later,
02:29but as Baltimore thought they were landing one of the league's superb talents,
02:33they only found themselves entrenched in a mess.
02:36Following the 0-3 season, San Francisco's management believed Owens and his representatives
02:41failed to meet the deadline to void the final year of his contract.
02:45Assuming he was a Niner, they traded him away.
02:48Simple.
02:49However, with assistance from the NFL Players Association,
02:54Owens disagreed and filed a grievance challenging the 49ers' right to make the deal.
02:59T.O. had his own assumptions,
03:01believing he would become a free agent,
03:03so he negotiated with other teams beforehand and reached an agreement with Philly.
03:08Before a final decision on the grievance was made,
03:11the NFL stepped in and all parties involved settled on a three-team trade,
03:16officially sending Owens to the Eagles.
03:19Sounds like a headache,
03:20but it's not shocking considering who's involved.
03:24T.O.'s rise in SF from a soft-spoken young'un
03:27soaking up game alongside legendary receiver Jerry Rice
03:30to a premier wide-on in the league drastically changed his reputation.
03:35As Owens leaped into stardom,
03:37those quiet labels turned into,
03:40let's see what's the opposite.
03:42Uh, loudmouth?
03:45Jackass?
03:47D.Va?
03:48Those aren't my words.
03:51I don't call people names.
03:52It's rude.
03:53However, media members and opponents had no problem throwing those descriptors on T.O.
03:59Maybe it was the numerous sideline outbursts,
04:03publicly challenging his teammates in the play calls,
04:06or beefing with his ex-head coach Steve Mariucci.
04:10That's just an educated guess,
04:12but either way,
04:13T.O.'s time in SF was bound to end poorly,
04:16and now Philly presented a new opportunity.
04:18Experts believed it could be a huge risk
04:22inserting a massive personality like T.O.'s
04:25into a rather conservative roster,
04:27but the gamble could lead to a gigantic payoff.
04:30Eagles fans expected a title,
04:33which wasn't far-fetched thinking.
04:36Philly's wide receiver room before T.O.'s arrival
04:38didn't inspire much confidence.
04:41That's me being nice.
04:42Others described them as just guys,
04:46while Owens was the man.
04:49But again,
04:50I don't diss people.
04:52I'm working on myself.
04:54However,
04:54the truth of the matter is,
04:56even in a down year,
04:58T.O. simply outperformed the bunch.
05:01He may be a handful,
05:02but journalists expected Philly to get right back to their winning ways
05:06with the added firepower of Owens.
05:09They were better than ever.
05:11Owens dominated as the new focal point of the offense,
05:15playing his way into MVP contention
05:17as the Eagles stomped teams,
05:20rolling off seven straight wins to start the season.
05:23T.O.'s past attitude issues didn't matter
05:26as Philly kept winning,
05:27and Eagles head coach Andy Reid
05:29believed his new star was fully bought in.
05:32The change of scenery seemed to be doing wonders for Owens.
05:36Then it all came crashing down in Week 15.
05:39With title hopes in sight,
05:42Philly officials believed there was an outside shot for T.O. to return
05:45if the team made it to the Super Bowl.
05:47But even if they did,
05:49Owens,
05:49who deemed himself a quick healer,
05:51wasn't ready to make any promises.
05:54He seemed committed to pushing his body to the limits,
05:57avoiding anything that could risk further damage.
06:00But if Philly were to make it to the big game,
06:02they would have to fully constrain him from playing if he wasn't ready.
06:07Owens was optimistic the Eagles could still make the Super Bowl without him
06:10and urged fans not to give up hope,
06:12but media members didn't believe it was that simple.
06:17Without T.O., Philly would have to revert back to their everybody-eats offensive approach,
06:22but with fewer options.
06:26The Eagles desperately needed their other wideouts to step up,
06:29but as Reed mostly benched the starters to close out the season,
06:33experts feared Philly would collapse in the playoffs.
06:37Well, well, well.
06:41While other receivers like Freddie Mitchell did indeed step up,
06:45the Eagles soaring to new heights and finally reaching the Super Bowl
06:48was seen as a collective effort.
06:51Owens was specifically acquired and expected to be the X Factor
06:54to finally get Philly over the hump,
06:56but without him, the Eagles proved they were more than just a one-man team.
07:02Although, it certainly wouldn't hurt if they were to get that one-man back.
07:08A source close to the team said Owens would not only return for the Super Bowl,
07:12but would play a key role in the game plan.
07:15Coach Reed didn't help temper those flames.
07:19After their conference championship win, with Owens by his side,
07:23Reed cheerfully said his star wideout would be back in the fold,
07:27then walked back his comments in the post-game presser
07:31saying he got swept away in the emotions.
07:34Reed was impressed by Teal's progress, but nothing was certain.
07:40Owens boasted his recovery as well,
07:41but it remained a mystery whether he would suit up.
07:45It didn't seem like he had many options medically.
07:49Things such as a hard hit, an uneven landing, or a bad pivot,
07:54aka all things that happen routinely on the football field,
07:59could have easily aggravated the injury, further damaging his career.
08:03A member of the NFL Physicians Society believe that Owens was at least six weeks away
08:09from being able to play without risking serious re-injury.
08:13It takes time for the body to properly heal,
08:16and doctors believe Owens simply didn't have enough.
08:19This isn't just outside perspectives either.
08:23Owens' surgeon, Dr. Mark Meyerson, didn't feel comfortable clearing Teal to play.
08:29Medical officials believed it would be completely unethical if the Eagles allowed Teal to suit up.
08:36So, that's that.
08:38His own surgeon wouldn't clear him to play,
08:42and numerous specialists said he could jeopardize his career with further injury.
08:46What else is there to talk about here?
08:48Well, this wasn't some normal game.
08:52It's the Super Bowl.
08:53The pinnacle event of professional football,
08:56and a game that athletes dream of playing in.
08:59Owens was no different.
09:01He desperately aimed to do whatever it took to potentially play in the game,
09:05knowing there was no guarantee he would have another shot at a title.
09:10Sounds like it would be tough to stop a guy who maniacally repeats
09:14Super Bowl, Super Bowl, to himself during workouts.
09:20Media members believe Teal acted selfishly in wanting to play,
09:24taking the spotlight away from the team and making the moment about himself.
09:29Owens' teammates thought those claims were ridiculous and backed the star,
09:33saying even at a reduced role, Teal could provide a spark to the team.
09:38But again, how is any of this even possible?
09:44When I play a single game of pickup basketball, my back hurts for two days.
09:48Teal broke his leg.
09:51It doesn't make any sense.
09:53For a lack of better explanation,
09:55because doctors couldn't seem to describe it either,
09:58Owens was built different.
10:00Outside of rehabbing with the team,
10:03Teal went through an aggressive accelerated rehab program,
10:07which included unconventional training like daily pool-based workouts,
10:11multiple sessions in a hyperbaric chamber to replenish his body's oxygen,
10:16and oddly specific workouts like strictly picking up towels with his toes
10:20to strengthen his ankles.
10:22It sounded a little wacky,
10:24but the results appeared to be paying off.
10:26Just eight days after his initial surgery,
10:30x-rays showed the bone in his ankle was already healing.
10:34Teal's surgeon was impressed by his recovery,
10:37but still thought the receiver wasn't ready.
10:40The potential damage he could cause to his ankle was relayed to Owens extensively,
10:44but Teal was determined to return,
10:47bucking orders from his doctors,
10:49leaving the decision to the receiver and Philly's personnel.
10:52As his training ramped up, Owens made great strides in his rehab,
10:57and it seemed that the Eagles trainers were potentially ready to risk it all.
11:02For Teal, the decision on whether he would play or not was never a question.
11:08Owens felt comfortable with his improvement,
11:10and largely credited his progress to his faith,
11:13saying no one would stop him from hitting the field.
11:16Andy Reid must not have gotten that memo,
11:20because despite having a trouble free practice days before the Super Bowl,
11:24the coach still didn't seem certain that his star receiver would play.
11:28Even Vegas betting books had odds available on whether Owens would suit up.
11:34Imagine parlaying the winning Gatorade color
11:36with whether or not the dude who broke his leg seven weeks ago would play or not.
11:41What a rush.
11:42My point is, nothing was guaranteed.
11:46Come game time,
11:48Teal claimed no one in the locker room other than him knew what he would do.
11:54He decided to play.
11:56And holy shit did he ball out.
12:00The Eagles didn't run some type of watered-down scheme to help get Teal involved either.
12:05Reid specialized in the West Coast offense,
12:07focusing on getting receivers in space to allow for yards after the catch,
12:11meaning Owens really thugged it out,
12:14cutting on a bad leg to get free upfield to earn some yak.
12:18New England Patriots cornerback Randall Gay couldn't believe the level of play Owens rose to.
12:24If he was hurt, Gay damn sure couldn't tell.
12:28Teal would have surely won MVP if the Eagles hadn't lost in a tight game.
12:35Even in defeat, Owens' showing is regarded as one of the most courageous and best single-game performances in all of sports.
12:44Post-game, Teal fired back at all the critics who called him selfish,
12:49exclaiming he wanted to be out there to help his team win.
12:53The Eagles didn't get the W, but Owens' effort certainly pushed them closer.
12:58I get the dude earned a reputation in the league, which I'm not absolving his behavior,
13:03but calling someone selfish for risking their career to shot at winning a title is kind of ridiculous.
13:09Ultra-competitive to the point of being psychotic?
13:12Maybe.
13:13But selfish?
13:14Nah.
13:16The guy did everything he could in his power to deliver a Super Bowl win to Philly,
13:20and sadly, still came up short.
13:22Because the reality is, Teal never got that chance again.
13:28While journalists expected the Eagles to continue their run of dominance in the NFC,
13:33especially with an offseason for Teal to rest,
13:36what followed was a drama-fueled summer with Owens clashing with the organization and his teammates,
13:42stirring more beef that led to Teal's ultimate departure from Philly.
13:47After the Eagles, Teal saw plenty more yards, touchdowns, and drama.
13:52But never came close to a title again.
13:56Maybe if Owens didn't play in that Super Bowl,
13:59he could have spent the offseason getting fully healthy and leaned into the whole city of brotherly love
14:04instead of taking shots at his QB failing in pressurized situations.
14:10Might be a long shot because...
14:13T.O., but who's to say?
14:16A chance to achieve your biggest dreams, especially when it's in your grasp,
14:20might lead a person to do crazy things.
14:23For Teal, he didn't achieve it,
14:26but his decision to risk his career and play in the Super Bowl was a big deal.
14:31He knew it was a big deal.
14:36But his
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