The 2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame class was announced on Saturday at the NFL Honors award show in San Francisco, and Terrell Owens -- who was on the ballot for the first time -- was not among the names called out.
The former 49ers wide receiver was at the Golden State Warriors-Oklahoma City Thunder game at Oracle Arena that evening, and spoke on national television to address the news.
“Wasn’t too much surprised,” Owens said. “I probably would’ve been more surprised had I made it.
"But I understand the process, and so, for me, if you look on the surface of everything, you take away what they call ‘character issues’ off the table, then I was automatic. I was an automatic shoo-in. If you think of the number of guys that are in, and some of the guys have those off-the-field issues, and even some of those guys got inducted. There are some issues there.
“I’m not disappointed, to be honest. If anything, I feel more disrespected than disappointed. Other than that, I’m happy for the guys that’s in there. Again, there’s going to be other opportunities. And when that situation arises, maybe I’ll get in.”
[RELATED: What they're saying: Eddie D gets call to Canton, Owens denied]
It is hard to argue the merit of Owens' on-field performance. He ranks second in NFL history with 15,934 receiving yards, third with 153 receiving touchdowns, and sixth with 1,078 career receptions.
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SIGN UP HERE “My numbers speak for itself,” Owens declared. “I’ve never had any off-the-field issues."
The Hall of Fame voters discussed Owens’ pros and cons for 43 minutes, 12 seconds, according to Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News.
“First and foremost, I think what a lot of the discussion was about is because I had some issues and situations on different teams. But my passion for the game got misconstrued for being arrogant, cocky, but I brought a lot of confidence to that game. I understood the role I had to take."
Before he spoke publicly, Owens reacted to the Hall of Fame results on Twitter, writing: "Unfortunately I did not make it. CONGRATS to the 2016 HOF CLASS. Thanks to ALL MY FANS for ur unwavering love & support."