Pat Benson
Time waits for no man. Sometimes it still seems hard for me to believe that Kobe Bryant is retired, or Michael Jordan is 56 years old. Another instance of times unrelenting march forward occurred to me this week when a coworker said it had been 25 years since Terrell Owens played 3 sports at UTC. My coworker was basically correct, it has been a quarter-century since Owens’ breakout sophomore season when he grabbed 38 receptions for 724 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Every Chattanoogan remembers the excitement and awe that surrounded Owens during his time as a Moc. Attendance at Chamberlain Field grew each week, and our campus had never felt so energized. His selection in the 1996 NFL Draft felt like all of us got drafted.
The rest was history, Owens’ NFL career was a blur of dazzling catches and unmatched end zone celebrations. Third in career receiving yards, and third in career receiving touchdowns (behind only Randy Moss and Jerry Rice). This was all before social media, which is probably a good thing. Twitter and Instagram wouldn’t have the bandwidth to handle his most memorable moments.
Despite being from a small town in Alabama, Owens carried himself with a larger than life persona and bravado. Naturally that made him a target for the old guard in media. No other athlete in the 2000’s caught more static for no reason. The Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee even made him wait longer than the required 5 years to get his gold bust (this is when Jim Halpert from the Office gives a deadpan look at the camera).
Finally in 2018, when Owens was inducted in to the Pro Football Hall of Fame he chose to put the spotlight on UTC. The man best known for the Sharpie in his sock put on the gold jacket in Mckenzie Arena. (But not before he took a group of local kids shopping, and had become a staple at Mocs homecoming events.) The amount of exposure and publicity Owens has provided our football program is unquantifiable.
As always UTC put on a top notch event honoring Owens during his induction speech, and even worked with local government to rename a street on campus after the perennial Pro Bowler. So with the 25 year anniversary of his stellar sophomore season approaching, I would love to see the Mocs and Adidas pay homage to Owens by breaking out the throwback uniforms from the mid-1990s at least once this season.
You know the ones. Gold pants, navy jersey (with no name on the front or back), and a gold helmet marked only with a white and navy spear on the side. Simple, classic, sharp. Players, fans, recruits and apparel companies alike can all get behind alternate uniforms.
I understand that it would be expensive, and the athletic department has undergone several rebrands since the mid-90s. In fact, the invention of the “Power C” was a wise decision when it comes to recognition and clarity. But for just one night this fall, let’s listen to some Craig Mack, wear the throwback jerseys, and party like it is 1994.
Full Disclosure: I’m an employee at UTC and obviously do not speak on behalf of the University. People much smarter than me are in charge of making decisions regarding the athletics department.
--
Pat Benson is a fixture at local high school sporting events. He has been a sideline reporter, P.A. announcer, and radio personality. Tweet him @Pat_Benson_Jr.
Terrell Owens