Terrell Owens attempts suicide

[Jeffrey Wozniak]

Police report: Terrell Owens attempted suicide

tempted suicide

09:56 AM CDT on Wednesday, September 27, 2006

By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA-TV



According to a Dallas police report first obtained by News 8, Dallas Cowboys star receiver Terrell Owens attempted suicide Tuesday night.

The report says Owens, 32, took prescription pain pills. Owens broke his right hand in a Sept. 17 game against the Washington Redskins.

A woman told police she observed Owens putting two pills in his mouth.

According to the police narrative, the woman said the prescription of 40 pills was filled on September 18 and—until Tuesday—Owens had taken only five pills.

The police report said Owens was asked if he had taken the rest of the prescription; Owens said, "Yes."

According to the report, police also asked if he was trying to harm himself. Owens answered, "Yes."

Owens was treated at Baylor University Medical Center.

"This is stunning news; obviously and incredibly surprising that a man in this position would reach this level of depression," said WFAA-TV sports director Dale Hansen. "There's something terribly wrong here, and hopefully we'll find out as the day goes on."

Hansen said a source at the Cowboys' Valley Ranch headquarters told him that doors to all offices were closed.

A Dallas Cowboys spokesman told News 8 the team has no comment on the police report, nor is any news conference scheduled.

The player's publicist didn't immediately return calls for comment.

Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.

When the Cowboys signed him to a $25 million, three-year deal in March, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill—who mostly deals with troubled players—said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.

Dallas police officials said they were planning a news conference later Monday, but did not immediately release a time. A hospital spokeswoman said early Wednesday there was no patient registered as Terrell Owens, although federal privacy laws allow people to block their name from being released.


The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[claude]

Dallas Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens denied claims that he was hospitalized as a result of a suicide attempt, hours after a police report says he tried to overdose.


CTV.ca News Staff

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens answers questions during a press conference in Dallas, Texas Wednesday afternoon.

"There was no suicide attempt,'' he said Wednesday during a news conference at his football team's headquarters. "The rumour of me taking 35 pills, that was absurd.''

The police report, which was released Wednesday morning, said Owens told his friend "that he was depressed."

The friend, who is not named in the report, "noticed that (his) prescription pain medication was empty and observed (Owens) putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said.

The female companion then tried to get the pills out of his mouth with her fingers, but was told by Owens that he had taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle that was sitting empty.

Rescue workers asked Owens "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time (he) stated, `Yes.'"

Owens' publicist Kim Etheredge, who said she was the friend cited in the document, told Dallas-area media Wednesday that the police got the story wrong.

Etheredge said she was at Owens' home when he took pain medicine for his broken right hand. She called 911 when she became concerned by how he began acting.

Owens was taken to a hospital, with Etheredge saying it was an allergic reaction to the medicine.

The player said Etheredge may have been confused by finding an empty bottle. The rest of the ills were in a drawer, he said.

Meanwhile, former Cowboys star Deion Sanders said he talked to Owens and the receiver "laughed at that notion'' of it being a suicide attempt. He added that Owens was in good spirits.

"It was a case that medication that was taken wasn't accepted well in his system with the other vitamins he's on,'' Sanders told the NFL Network, where he works as an analyst.

Owens said he felt fine and would be ready to play on Sunday. He denied he felt depressed.

"He's got 25 million reasons to live," Etheredge told the news conference, referring to the value of Owens' contract.

Earlier on Wednesday, authorities declined to offer any details, saying simply that the incident they investigated did not constitute a criminal offence.

"We've determined that at this time this is not a criminal offence, this is a medical type of situation," Dallas Police Lt. Rick Watson told reporters on Wednesday.

The injury

Owens was hospitalized late Tuesday because of what his publicist said was an allergic reaction to pain medicine he was taking for a broken hand.

He broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game a week ago on Sunday, while blocking one of the first plays of a 27-10 victory over the Washington Redskins.

Owens had an operation the next day to have a plate screwed into the bone attached to his right ring finger, to allow the bone to heal without further injury.

Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said last week that the medication made Owens ill.

The Cowboys were off this past weekend and Owens was back at practice Tuesday, although he worked out on his own. Parcells said Owens' hand was improving.

Owens a flamboyant guy

Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for his wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.

Owens, also known as T.O., has borrowed a cheerleader's pompoms, done sit-ups on his driveway before TV cameras and taunted Ravens tough guy Ray Lewis' celebration in a game against Baltimore.

Before a Monday night game against Dallas last season, Owens took part in a risque promotional stunt with one of the "Desperate Housewives'' that later prompted an apology from the network.

Owens was praised for his performance with the Eagles in the February 2005 Super Bowl, seven weeks after ankle surgery.

But his relationship with quarterback Donovan McNabb soured soon after and the organization suspended him in mid-season and later got rid of him amid contract complaints and other disputes.

Team owner Jeffrey Lurie said later that, even with the Super Bowl trip, he regretted having ever hired Owens.

Days after the Cowboys signed Owens to a $25 million US, three-year deal in March, Owens told reporters at a news conference, "I'm a star among stars now."

The Cowboys have said their background checks did not stumble on any red flags.

In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill -- who works mainly with troubled players -- said during training camp that his department had no dealings with Owen because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.

With files from The Associated Press

[Jon Abbey]

Originally Posted by claude

"He's got 25 million reasons to live," Etheredge told the news conference, referring to the value of Owens' contract.

clearly I don't know what happened, but this quote is inane. in her slight defense, she was pretty sleep-deprived when she said it, but on the other hand, she is a publicist, pretty inexcusable.

[GoodSpeak]

Why do I smell a sympathy vote-like publicity stunt in all this....?


Hm.

[Jazzooo]

Why would Owens need our sympathy? Is he running for something?

Of course, I don't have a clue what happened. But on the face of the two reports I've seen, it sure sounds like he told rescue workers he was trying to harm himself. Or are rescue workers in the habit of lying about such stuff?

Money is hardly a cure for depression--that was a stupid comment on the part of the publicist. I wonder if she was even actually 'female companion' who was with him at the time.

It's fun to sepculate about stuff I don't even care about sometimes!

[GoodSpeak]

[heaviest of sighs]

Owens denies he tried to kill himself

By JAIME ARON, AP Sports Writer


DALLAS - Dallas Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens denied a police report that he attempted suicide, saying he became groggy after mixing painkillers with supplements.

As if to prove he's doing fine, Owens went from the hospital to catching passes from quarterback Drew Bledsoe within two hours, then proclaimed himself "very capable of going out there and playing on Sunday" — despite whatever happened Tuesday night and a broken right hand.

Owens said Wednesday the confusion likely stemmed from an empty bottle of pain medication found by his publicist, who was with him at the time and called 911. He said the rest of the pills were in a drawer.

"I was non-responsive when she made that call," Owens said. "She made the call out of her judgment for my well-being."

Appearing in a news conference at team headquarters a few hours after leaving a hospital for what a police report described as "a drug overdose," Owens wore workout gear and no bandage on his right hand. The star receiver smiled and seemed more amused than peeved at the latest ruckus surrounding him.

Owens, 32, blamed a combination of hydrocodone, a generic form of Vicodin, with all-natural supplements for making him ill.

"It's very unfortunate for it to go from an allergic reaction to a suicide attempt," he said.

Rescue workers arrived at Owens' home around 8 p.m. Tuesday and took him to an emergency room. When word spread, publicist Kim Etheredge said it was an allergic reaction.

But the story shifted Wednesday morning when several media outlets received a police report — that had yet to be released by the authorities — saying Owens had attempted suicide by overdosing on the painkillers, even putting two more pills into his mouth after an unidentified friend, later identified as Etheredge, intervened.

The police document, first reported by WFAA-TV, said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time (he) stated: 'Yes.'"

When officially released by police, about half the document was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose," as well as the details of Owens having two pills pried from his mouth and Owens saying "Yes" when asked if he intended to harm himself.

"I was kind of out of it," Owens said. "I can barely even remember the doctors, much less the police officers asking me questions."

Owens also said that he's "not depressed about anything" and that he should practice Thursday.

Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game a week ago Sunday. The next day, doctors screwed in a plate so the bone could heal without fear of further damage — leaving a 2-inch scar on top of his hand.

If he doesn't play this Sunday, Owens might still return for the following game — Oct. 8, in Philadelphia, against the team that dumped him midway through last season only months after helping them nearly win the Super Bowl.

Etheredge also appeared at Owens' news conference, saying she "did not take anything out of his mouth" and that it was unfair for anyone to think Owens would kill himself.

"Terrell has 25 million reasons why he should be alive," she said, referring to the $25 million, three-year contract he signed in March with the Cowboys.

"I'm just upset," Etheredge added. "I feel they take advantage of Terrell. Had this been someone else, this may not have happened."

Dallas police officials declined to comment on Etheredge's denials. "We can't discuss the police report because of privacy laws," said a spokesman, Sgt. Gil Cerda.

Teammates and friends throughout the league rallied to support Owens even before he spoke, with many saying they thought the suicide report might be wrong.

"As soon as I got the news this morning, I had to make my call to make sure everything was OK. You know what? It was," said Cincinnati receiver Chad Johnson, a close friend through their rivalry over the best end-zone celebrations.

Former Cowboys star Deion Sanders was with Owens at his home before he went to team headquarters.

"From my understanding, looking at him in the eye as a man and as a big brother, I said `Be straight up with me.' He seems to be OK," Sanders told the NFL Network, where he works as an analyst.

After getting almost strictly Owens-related questions, coach Bill Parcells cut off his usual 25-30 minute session after only nine minutes. He ended it by getting up from his chair and saying, "When I find out what the hell is going on, you will know. Until then, I'm not getting interrogated for no reason."

Police Lt. Rick Watson said during his brief news conference that he could only confirm paramedics called police to say they were taking Owens to the hospital. He said no more details would come from the police because no laws were broken.

"We looked into it, and we determined it is not a criminal offense," Watson said. "This a medical type of situation that occurred."

Watson released the version of the police narrative with certain sections blacked out. The full report was obtained by several news outlets and reported first by WFAA. The Associated Press received the full version from WFAA.

The tape of the 911 call could help clear things up. The AP filed a request under the Texas Public Information Act to get its contents, but fire department officials said it would not be available before late Wednesday.

Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.

When the Cowboys signed him, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill — who mostly deals with troubled players — said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.

He missed most of training camp, and three of four preseason games, because of a hamstring injury. He was late for work during his recovery and was fined for it, but Owens laughed it off, saying he overslept. He said it had happened before, though not with Dallas, and would probably happen again.

Owens has played two games for the Cowboys, catching nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown.

Owens, already a top receiver with the San Francisco 49ers, burst to prominence in 2000 for his celebration of two touchdowns on the star logo at midfield of Texas Stadium in a game against the Cowboys. A Dallas player blind-sided him after the second one.

The legend of T.O. grew when he celebrated another touchdown by pulling a Sharpie from his sock and autographing the ball in a 49ers game at Seattle. He's also borrowed a cheerleader's pompoms, done sit-ups on his driveway before TV cameras and mocked Ravens tough guy Ray Lewis' celebration in a game against Baltimore.

Before a Monday night game against Dallas in 2004, Owens took part in a risque promotional stunt with one of ABC's "Desperate Housewives" that later prompted an apology from the network.

Owens was heavily praised while with the Eagles for playing well in the February 2005 Super Bowl, seven weeks after ankle surgery. However, his relationship with quarterback Donovan McNabb deteriorated soon after and the organization suspended him in midseason and later got rid of him amid contract complaints and other personality squabbles. Team owner Jeffrey Lurie said later that, even with the Super Bowl trip, he regretted having ever signed Owens.

[GoodSpeak]

Doug,

T.O. has an image problem with the media and with NFL fans nationwide. Besides, doesn't it strike you as just a little bit odd T.O.'s publisist found this [alledgedly] empty bottle?

[Jeffrey Wozniak]

In my mind he's the Dennis Rodman of the NFL. Great players, but both need lots of psychiatric help.

[crawjo]

Originally Posted by GoodSpeak

Doug,

T.O. has an image problem with the media and with NFL fans nationwide. Besides, doesn't it strike you as just a little bit odd T.O.'s publisist found this [alledgedly] empty bottle?

How many attempted suicide publicity stunts have there been in sports history?

[LennyH]

I wouldn't be surprised if T.O. is telling the truth about this.

He's awfully in love with himself to take his own life.

[Jeffrey Wozniak]

Agreed.

[Borat Pri Hagafen]

Originally Posted by Jon Abbey

clearly I don't know what happened, but this quote is inane. in her slight defense, she was pretty sleep-deprived when she said it, but on the other hand, she is a publicist, pretty inexcusable.

I thought that's what I heard her say, but I couldn't believe she really would. Of course, she also said something about dealing with a player of Owens' "statue", so we're not exactly talking about Mensa material here.

I also find it funny that the Chargers' starting strong safety was arrested yesterday on suspicion of drug dealing, and no one cares.

[Jeffrey Wozniak]

Originally Posted by Borat Pri Hagafen

I also find it funny that the Chargers' starting strong safety was arrested yesterday on suspicion of drug dealing, and no one cares.

That's because nobody knows who he is.

[GoodSpeak]

Originally Posted by crawjo

How many attempted suicide publicity stunts have there been in sports history?

So...there has to be a history to this sort of thing first?

I hasten to remind that nobody danced on the Cowboy star after a touchdown before he did, either. And who did the football autograph thing during a game before he did, eh?


I will humbly suggest to you the all events in history began with a singular event. Wouldn't you agree?

[Captain Hate]

Earth to TO: If you want to end it don't go out of bounds against Sean Taylor.

[groover]

As an Eagles fan, I could almost feel sorry for the Cowboys right now. Almost.

[GoodSpeak]

Originally Posted by groover

As an Eagles fan, I could almost feel sorry for the Cowboys right now. Almost.

As a Niners fan, the C'boyz and T.O. deserve each other.

[Scott Dolan]

Originally Posted by Captain Hate

Earth to TO: If you want to end it don't go out of bounds against Sean Taylor.

Harsh!!!


Boredrat, see JW's post.

[Jazzzoline]

Originally Posted by crawjo

How many attempted suicide publicity stunts have there been in sports history?

The drag queen Dennis Rodman ( I think it's his name) Basketball player I think.
He denied it too.

*singing "take a walk on the wild side too toodoo toodoo .."*

[Jazzooo]

"So...there has to be a history to this sort of thing first? "

Well, if they expect it to work and not misfire, there should be some link to a situation where the results had already been evaluated. I don't see how trying to kill himself would create sympathy, nor do I see how denying that he tried to kill himself would create it. Most of us didn't try to kill ourselvews recently, you know.

Now making it appear one way, then being accused in the media, and then denying it--maybe, but it's way too risky. There are better ways--human interest stories, a retarded kid he visits every weekend, a blind mother, whatever. Only a pretty dumb PR team would concoct a suicide/no it wasn't suicide scheme, imo.

[GoodSpeak]

Originally Posted by Jazzooo

"So...there has to be a history to this sort of thing first? "

Well, if they expect it to work and not misfire, there should be some link to a situation where the results had already been evaluated. I don't see how trying to kill himself would create sympathy, nor do I see how denying that he tried to kill himself would create it. Most of us didn't try to kill ourselvews recently, you know.

Now making it appear one way, then being accused in the media, and then denying it--maybe, but it's way too risky. There are better ways--human interest stories, a retarded kid he visits every weekend, a blind mother, whatever. Only a pretty dumb PR team would concoct a suicide/no it wasn't suicide scheme, imo.

If you listened to the publicist then T.O.'s uh, "explaination" you'd know we aren't talking about the brightest bulbs in the stadium.

Besides, what is the job of a publicist....to gain publicity, yes?

All I'm saying is I wouldn't put it past them. T.O.'s on and off the field antics make him a NFL pariah and completely beneath any moral integrity, IMO. Besides, it worked didn't it? I mean, what we're talking about right now....? People just might soften their opinion of the poor, poor multi-millionaire punk.