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Terrell Owens' venture into arena football has come to an abrupt end.
The 38-year-old former NFL star was released by the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League on Tuesday.
"It is impossible to maintain a player when even our fans notice and comment on a player's lack of effort both on and off the field," Wranglers owner Jon Frankel said in a statement released on the team's website. "We need to do what is best for this team, our fans and this community."
The decision to release Owens came after the receiver made it clear he would not play in a pair of upcoming road games as the Wranglers make a push for the playoffs.
"It is difficult to look other players on this team in the eyes and tell them that being a team player is important . . . that giving it your all on the field every night is our expectation, when another member of this team is not operating by these standards," team president and co-owner Tommy Benizio said in the statement.
"The proverbial straw that broke the camel's back for Mr. Owens was his no-show to a scheduled appearance at a local children's hospital with other Wrangler players and coaches."
Owens played in eight of the Wranglers' 11 games so far. He caught 35 passes for 420 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Owens was given a compensation package the club once said could be worth up to $500,000 when he signed in February. He also was given an ownership stake, but Tuesday's announcement said Owens no longer will participate as a team owner.
Owens was introduced to great fanfare at the Wranglers' 6,700-seat arena in Allen, a suburb north of Dallas. His last season in the NFL was 2010, when he caught 72 passes for 983 yards and nine touchdowns for the Cincinnati Bengals.
After recovering from offseason knee surgery, Owens staged an open workout for scouts but was not signed by an NFL team in 2011.
http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/05...16&feedID=4680
The 38-year-old former NFL star was released by the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League on Tuesday.
"It is impossible to maintain a player when even our fans notice and comment on a player's lack of effort both on and off the field," Wranglers owner Jon Frankel said in a statement released on the team's website. "We need to do what is best for this team, our fans and this community."
The decision to release Owens came after the receiver made it clear he would not play in a pair of upcoming road games as the Wranglers make a push for the playoffs.
"It is difficult to look other players on this team in the eyes and tell them that being a team player is important . . . that giving it your all on the field every night is our expectation, when another member of this team is not operating by these standards," team president and co-owner Tommy Benizio said in the statement.
"The proverbial straw that broke the camel's back for Mr. Owens was his no-show to a scheduled appearance at a local children's hospital with other Wrangler players and coaches."
Owens played in eight of the Wranglers' 11 games so far. He caught 35 passes for 420 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Owens was given a compensation package the club once said could be worth up to $500,000 when he signed in February. He also was given an ownership stake, but Tuesday's announcement said Owens no longer will participate as a team owner.
Owens was introduced to great fanfare at the Wranglers' 6,700-seat arena in Allen, a suburb north of Dallas. His last season in the NFL was 2010, when he caught 72 passes for 983 yards and nine touchdowns for the Cincinnati Bengals.
After recovering from offseason knee surgery, Owens staged an open workout for scouts but was not signed by an NFL team in 2011.
http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/05...16&feedID=4680
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