We've all seen how Terrell Owens can destroy franchises. Now, sadly, we're witnessing that he can also be destructive to himself.
According to several reports like this one this morning, the Dallas Cowboys receiver attempted suicide Tuesday night by ingesting as many as 35 painkillers. Owens was taken to Baylor Medical Center in Deep Ellum by Dallas Fire & Rescue. At the hospital vomiting was induced and Owens was able to speak with police. WFAA-Channel 8 TV obtained a police report of the incident, revealing that it was categorized as a response to an "attempted suicide." According to the report, when police asked Owens if he was trying to harm himself he answered, "Yes."
A California woman who was with Owens last night called 911 and told responders that T.O. had been severely depressed. It's a stunning turn of events for the team and the tumultuous player. Ironically, Tuesday morning Owens appeared on the set of KDFW-Channel 4's morning show, talking about his role as a spokesman for the National Alliance to End Abuse. Later Tuesday, Owens visited a couple of Dallas high school to spread the group's message. And at Valley Ranch in the afternoon, Owens caught passes to test his broken right hand and then playfully avoided TV cameras and interviews by sneaking around the locker room behind a yellow trash can.
Owens broke his hand in the team's home opener and had surgery nine days ago. He was apparently healing enough to play in Sunday's game at Tennessee, and was certainly looking forward to the October 8 game in Philadelphia, where he starred for two seasons before a public feud with coaches and teammates led to his release. Coach Bill Parcells said last week that Owens suffered an allergic reaction to some pain medication, but didn't think it was a serious issue.
The police report states that on September 18 Owens received a prescription for 40 pills, and the woman said as of early Tuesday night he had only taken five. With a troubled childhood leading to issues way deeper than football, Owens is apparently lucky to be alive. The Cowboys, who paid $10 million for his services this season and are counting on him to be a major contributor on their Super Bowl contending team, might not be so fortunate. I always anticipated Owens causing harm in Dallas. But never to himself. --Richie Whitt