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Sports' most exclusive fraternity will grow by eight on Saturday. Former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens will be among those inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2018. The only problem is that Owens, the Hall's 317th inductee, will not be in Canton, Ohio for the enshrinement ceremony or the festivities that surround the event.
Owens decided to celebrate his induction elsewhere. It was a decision that Hall of Fame President and CEO David Baker called "unprecedented." So you won't hear Owens' name much in Canton on Saturday, and you won't hear it at the Gold Jacket Ceremony on Friday.
"The focus is on the guys who are here," Hall of Fame executive director Joe Horrigan recently
told Clark Judge of the Talk of Fame Network.
Owens will celebrate one of sports' greatest honors over 500 miles away at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he will independently give his induction speech from the school's McKenzie Arena.
"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," Owens said via a statement on June 7.
Several former stars of the game have already expressed their disappointment in Owens' decision,
including Hall of Fame quarterback and former teammate Steve Young.
Former 49ers front office executive Carmen Policy was on
95.7 The Game Monday morning, where he shared his thoughts on Owens' stance.
"I thought how sad," Policy said on the
Joe, Lo and Dibs show. "How very, very sad. And I felt very bad for Terrell. I talked to him after he was notified that he was going to be inducted, and the player I talked to was humble, and he was just upbeat about the honor and talked about the early days of the 49ers. He had talked to Eddie DeBartolo and said, 'I miss you guys,' and this, that, and so forth.
"We tried to giving him some advice to just get some advice on how to handle this honor. Take it easy, don't make quick decisions, and moderate your comments. Again, we were rooting for him.
"The problem is, with all the talent, with all the ability, with the drive that he had, and the fight that he had, he never understood how to develop and maintain relationships. Every time a bridge was built, he burned it. Every time there was some connection, it was as though some huge clippers were used to cut it off.
"He finds himself on this small island with no access to it and no means to leave it and nothing connected to it. It's terribly sad. I just wish his life were different.
Policy went on to say that some effort was made to bring together a coalition from the teams that Owens played for, but the former receiver was uncooperative.
"The teams weren't really sympathetic to the idea because of the nastiness that had existed in terms of comments and the separations. And there he is out there alone.
"Eddie (DeBartolo Jr.) even talked about, 'Maybe I should just pick the guy up, bring him there, it doesn't have to be a lot of fanfare, take care of him while he's there, but I'm not connected to a team anymore. It's almost as though I'm overstepping. If I were connected to a team, obviously he'd be front and center no matter what.'
"It's horribly sad and I think he's just so alone out there."
Click here to listen to the entire interview with Policy.
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his
With the 2024 NFL Draft less than a week away, it's common for the rumor mill to start churning, especially with players who are actively seeking a new contract. It was just two short years ago that WR Deebo Samuel requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers prior to draft day, only for cooler heads to prevail and eventually agree to a new deal.
Now, it's WR Brandon Aiyuk's turn to try and get paid and rumors surfaced over the weekend that he too would request to be dealt. While that report was quickly shot down by his agent, there's still a lot of discussion about Aiyuk's future and if other teams will come calling on draft night.
Legendary columnist Mike Silver joined
