EDITOR'S NOTE: Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee. He was assigned the responsibility of opening the discussion of Owens when the 48-person committee met on the eve of Super Bowl 52 in Minneapolis.
Terrell Owens, who was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his third year of eligibility, announced Thursday he will not attend the induction ceremony in Canton, Ohio.
Owens wrote in a statement posted on his official website that he decided during a visit earlier this year to the Hall of Fame that he wanted to celebrate elsewhere. He wrote he would announce when and where he would choose to hold his personal celebration.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
The selection committee consists of 48 members of the media, including two members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Dan Fouts and James Lofton.
Owens, a six-time Pro Bowl selection, ranks second in all-time receiving yards (15,934), third in receiving touchdowns (153) and eighth in receptions (1,078). He played 13 NFL seasons. Owens likely did not receive the number of votes necessary in his first two years of eligibility due to the belief among some voters that he was a divisive influence in the locker room on the five teams for which he played.
Owens played his first eight seasons with the 49ers before moving on to Philadelphia, Dallas, Buffalo and Cincinnati. Former 49ers assistant coach George Stewart was scheduled to be his presenter at the induction ceremony.
“We are disappointed but will respect Terrell’s decision not to participate in the Enshrinement,” Hall of Fame President & CEO David Baker said in a statement. “While unprecedented, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the nearly 5,000 volunteers and the entire community are committed to celebrating the excellence of the Class of 2018 that will kick off the NFL’s 99th season.”
San Francisco 49ers
Owens was among a class of eight individuals inducted into the Hall of Fame, a list that also includes Bobby Beathard, Robert Brazile, Brian Dawkins, Jerry Kramer, Ray Lewis, Randy Moss and Brian Urlacher.
“As we do not want to detract from this great honor being enjoyed by the seven other members of the Class of 2018, their family, friends, and fans; the Pro Football Hall of Fame will have no further comment on the decision made by Terrell Owens.”
Here is Owens’ official statement:
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.
I would also like to thank the San Francisco 49ers, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys, the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals for the time I was granted with each organization. I am thankful for the relationships forged and the lessons learned while part of each team.
I wish to congratulate all past, current and future inductees. It is quite an honor to be part of such elite company. This honor is something that I will cherish forever.
Sincerely,
Terrell Owens