Each February, the day before the Super Bowl, the Pro Football Hall of Fame committee convenes to vote on the next class of inductees. They meet in the Super Bowl city and cut down from 15 finalists to 10, and then from 10 to the class of five modern era inductees. The 15 finalists are asked to be in the city, where they will away a knock on the door from HOF chairman David Baker indicating they have been voted in.
The HOF releases a video each year showing Baker informing each person they have gotten the votes. They released this year’s video, and one person was noticeably absent. Terrell Owens was not greeted by Baker in the video.
It turns out, nerves got the best of TO. According to Dallas Cowboys writer Clarence Hill, TO left town early to go play in a basketball game.
Terrell Owens to me via text when I asked him for HOF quote: Can’t. Headed to basketball game. Plus Nothing else to say.
— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) February 3, 2018
It sounds like it was actually related to nerves about potentially being denied again.
I asked Hall of Fame president David Baker about Terrell Owens. He said he got nervous and flew home to California from Minnesota and he’s now flying back after making the Hall. “He flew home yesterday. He told some of my staff. I was not available.’’
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) February 4, 2018
Baker later said of his call with TO, “He was very calm, but very respectful, I would even say kind of humbled.”
The past two years, Owens has alternated between saying he is being disrespected, and saying he does not care. I'm guessing that getting that notification felt pretty great.