Terrell Owens Denies Suicide Attempt
Posted September 27, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Infamous Dallas Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens denies he tried to commit suicide by overdosing on pain medication.
Following his release from hospital Wednesday, Owens held a news conference at his team’s headquarters to say that he’d mixed painkillers with supplements and subsequently felt groggy.
“There was no suicide attempt,” he said. “The rumour of me taking 35 pills, that was absurd.”
Earlier reports suggested Owens replied “Yes” to emergency workers who asked him if he was trying to harm himself. But Owens says he wasn’t completely coherent at the time.
Adding to the confusion was the discovery of an empty bottle of pain medication near his publicist, who was with him at the time. Owens said the rest of the pills were in a drawer.
Owens appeared at the conference in workout clothes and wasn’t sporting a bandage on the right hand he broke in a recent game. The star receiver, known for his wild antics on and off the field, said he felt like he could play this Sunday despite the incident and his injury.
The 32-year-old added that contrary to earlier reports, he’s “not depressed about anything.”
Owens said he took a combination of hydrocodone, a generic form of Vicodin, along with all-natural supplements before getting ill.
“It’s very unfortunate for it to go from an allergic reaction to a suicide attempt,” he said.
Dallas police were tight-lipped about the episode and never confirmed the NFL player had tried to kill himself.
Owens is one of the league’s top receivers and recently signed to a US$25 million, three-year deal with the Cowboys in March.
He missed most of training camp and several pre-season games because of a hamstring injury. A week ago Sunday, Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game. The next day doctors screwed a plate in to assist with recovery.
His teammates were expecting him to be at practice Wednesday and coach Bill Parcells had said previously that there was a chance Owens could play against Tennessee Sunday.
