Terrell Owens Says He’ll Skip Hall Of Fame Enshrinement And Have His Own Ceremony Later

Terrell Owens will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this August. But he won’t be there to celebrate his enshrinement.

After being passed over twice, the Hall of Fame announced that Owens would be inducted this year. So the mercurial wide receiver got in, but he’s still holding a grudge about the process. He apparently doesn’t want to celebrate his induction with people who only let him in on the third try, so today he said he’d be skipping the ceremony. It is the most T.O. of T.O. moves.

I am so grateful for all of the support my family, friends, and certainly my fans, have shown me throughout my entire career in the National Football League. When it was announced that I was going to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the response received from my fans was overwhelming, and I am truly humbled. I am honored to be included among this group of fellow inducted individuals.

While I am incredibly appreciative of this opportunity, I have made the decision to publicly decline my invitation to attend the induction ceremony in Canton. I have already shared this information with the Hall. After visiting Canton earlier this year, I came to the realization that I wish to celebrate what will be one of the most memorable days of my life, elsewhere. At a later date, I will announce where and when I will celebrate my induction.

It went on a bit, but this is the important part: Terrell Owens will be having his own personal enshrinement ceremony. What will that entail? Will it be a big ceremony at a giant arena? A small affair at a nice banquet hall? A driveway in New Jersey?

Hall of Fame head David Baker called the decision “unprecedented” in his own statement. Owens is apparently the first player to ever decline to attend his own induction. “We are disappointed but will respect Terrell’s decision not to participate in the enshrinement,” he said in the release. It’s good to know Owens won’t be forced to attend.