Terrell Owens denied in first shot at Pro Football Hall of Fame

Terrell Owens will have to wait another year.

The flamboyant wide receiver was not voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday night in his first year of eligibility following a stellar career defined as much by on-field success as it was by consistent drama.

Owens shared the news via Twitter.

The melodrama that surrounded Owens, 42, during almost the entirety of his 15-year career -- as well as his on-field histrionics -- at times overshadowed his on-field accomplishments, which were substantial.

A third-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1996 draft, "T.O." went on to be a six-time Pro Bowl selection.

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He ranks second in receiving yards (15,934) in league history and third in receiving touchdowns (153). He is also sixth in receptions. Only Jerry Rice is ahead of Owens in all three statistical categories.

Owens played for five franchises, but his best years came with the San Francisco 49ers, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. He has long been credited with an outstanding work ethic and has authored some indelible postseason memories.

His 25-yard game-winning touchdown catch against the Green Bay Packers in a January 1999 NFC wild-card game is often referred to in the Bay Area as “The Catch II.” In Super Bowl XXXIX, he had 122 yards on nine receptions in a losing effort for the Eagles while playing on a broken leg that was still healing.

“He played at a high level for a long time,” Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who played with Owens from 2006 to 2008, told The Dallas Morning News this week. “I think, just statistically speaking, it (Hall of Fame) is kind of a no-brainer. I understand the off the field, people talk. But there are plenty of guys in the Hall of Fame who have good and bad. He did a lot of good stuff too. I know sometimes he could be talked about in the media from both sides, but I think he is very well deserving.”

Follow Eric Prisbell on Twitter @EricPrisbell.