Owens: 'No Justification' Johnson Elected While Wayne, Holt Excluded
Terrell Owens was no stranger to controversy during his Hall of Fame playing career.
After the sudden death of Yahoo! Sports NFL writer Terez Paylor last week, Owens was notified of the impactful plea the talented writer made to other voters that helped to get him elected.
Prior to Paylor's plea, other Hall of Fame voters were engaging in vigorous debates regarding his candidacy.
"I get glassy-eyed just thinking about it," Owens said via Newsday. "My condolences to his family. It’s so sad. I didn’t hear anything about Terez and his perspective and how they were deliberating on me. It’s so unfortunate that I’m learning of this after this man’s passing. Honestly, I wish I could have spoken to him to say thank you for what he did."
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The outspoken wide receiver also expressed that the latest elections continue to baffle him and provide him with further justification to continue his boycott of the Hall of Fame.
“No disrespect to anybody that got in, but I just don’t understand the process,” he said. “Calvin Johnson got in on the first ballot. This has nothing to do with Calvin himself. The guy was a beast. But, there’s no justification when you have Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne on this year’s ballot that have done equal or greater things.”
Johnson became the seventh receiver selected on the first ballot and the first modern-era Lions player elected since Barry Sanders.
He joins Raymond Berry, Lance Alworth, Paul Warfield, Steve Largent, Jerry Rice and Randy Moss as receivers to be elected in their first years on the ballot.
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