Terique Owens seeks NFL opportunity to follow in her father’s footsteps originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
SANTA CLARA – Imagine the doubts Terique Owens faced when he entered high school and showed no desire to play football.
The son of Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens has chosen to focus on another sport.
“I always wanted to play basketball,” Terique Owens said. “I wasn’t a big football fan. My mother tried to make me play football, but I didn’t want to play. I didn’t like the contact.”
Finally, as a sophomore at Bishop O’Dowd High in Oakland, Owens decided to give football a try. Although he didn’t get much playing time in high school, he discovered he enjoyed his new sport.
On Wednesday, Terique, who played wide receiver at Missouri State, participated in the 49ers Local Pro Day at Levi’s Stadium. His father watched from the sidelines.
“He was a late bloomer,” Terrell said of his son. “Obviously, he has the physical attributes of a receiver. For him, it’s all about repetition; It’s all about experience. I think once he gets into the lineup, he can improve and enhance his skill set. He just needs to get his foot in the door. After that, it’s up to him.”
Terique is not expected to be drafted later this month, but he is hoping for an opportunity to sign with an NFL club as a free agent.
Terique (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) recently posted strong numbers during his pro day at the University of Missouri. He ran 4.51 seconds in the 40-yard dash with a 38.5-inch vertical and a 10-4 broad jump.
“He’s definitely faster than I was at that age,” said Terrell Owens, who posted a pre-draft time of 4.63 seconds in the 40.
Terrell said he has gotten progressively faster over the course of his NFL career, catching 1,078 passes for 15,934 and 153 touchdowns. He ranks third in receiving yards and touchdown receptions and eighth in receptions.
After one season at Contra Costa College, Terique transferred to Florida Atlantic before moving on to Missouri State. In his final season, he caught 28 passes for 528 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games.
The question is whether Terique has shown enough potential to land in an NFL camp and have the opportunity to stick around.
“I know that process because I’ve been there and seen guys come into camp and make the practice squad or something like that,” Terrell Owens said. “You just need to go in and find your niche and compete daily.
“You have to stand out. There must be something unique about you. You can’t just blend in. There are many great football players across the country. What is it about you that stands out and will ‘wow’ or open the eyes of scouts, GMs and coaches?”
