Long before athletes could turn contract drama into a livestream, Terrell Owens turned his driveway into must-see television.
“Get your popcorn ready.” TO coined that one.
Twenty-one years ago, Owens’ relationship with the Philadelphia Eagles was unraveling after one of the gutsiest Super Bowl performances ever. Following a contract dispute, coach Andy Reid sent T.O. home from training camp. Reporters followed him to Moorestown, New Jersey, where Owens responded by working out in his driveway with cameras rolling.
Weights came out. Sit-ups followed. Owens tossed reporters vague answers, winks and no-comments between reps while his agent watched nearby. It was chaotic, funny and unmistakably T.O.
The clips are circulating again today, with fans imagining how completely the scene would consume social media in 2026. The episode eventually became part of a much uglier Eagles breakup, with Owens deactivated during the 2005 season before landing with the Dallas Cowboys.
That driveway spectacle can sometimes overshadow just how ridiculous Owens’ football résumé was.
Across 15 NFL seasons, Owens finished with 15,934 receiving yards and 153 receiving touchdowns, ranking third all-time in both categories. He produced nine 1,000-yard seasons and eight seasons with double-digit touchdowns.
His career was packed with moments. There was “The Catch II” in San Francisco, his then-record 20-catch performance against Chicago, and an unforgettable Super Bowl XXXIX showing for Philadelphia. Owens returned from a fractured fibula and caught nine passes for 122 yards against New England.
Dallas got plenty of T.O. too. He caught a career-best 15 touchdowns in 2007 and earned First-Team All-Pro honors.
The celebrations became NFL folklore. The Dallas star. The Sharpie. The popcorn.
Owens entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018. Two decades after that driveway workout, the numbers remain historic and the personality remains impossible to forget.