Terrell Owens won't commemorate his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio on Saturday.
Instead, hours before the official ceremony, the former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver will host his own ceremony at his alma mater, the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. Before Owens addresses the crowd on Saturday, he explained his thought process on Friday.
In an interview with ESPN's Vaughn McClure, Owens said he's not attending because of his issues with the selection process:
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I understand why I made my decision. I don't expect everyone to agree with me. But again, obviously the criteria and the system put in place for the Hall of Fame in order for guys like myself to be inducted, there are guidelines that the writers, the sportswriters, are supposed to adhere to. It's not, not being inducted the first or second ballot, but it's about the process in which guys are nominated and ultimately inducted. There's a flaw in that system. So this is not only about me, but it's about the guys that went before me, that's going to come after me. And I can make a stand for those guys so they won't have to go through this situation.
Owens made the final 15 in his first two years of Hall of Fame eligibility, but "was likely not elected ... in his first two years of eligibility due to role in controversies in the locker rooms of the teams for which he played," as NBC Sports Bay Area 49ers Insider Matt Maiocco wrote in February.
In a 15-year NFL career with the 49ers, Owens caught 1078 receptions for 15,934 yards and scored 156 total touchdowns. He ranks eighth, second, and fifth all-time in those respective categories. He was a six-time Pro Bowler, and was first-team All-Pro five times.