SANTA CLARA — Imagine the questions Terique Owens faced as he entered high school and showed no desire to play football.
The son of Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens opted to focus on another sport, instead.
“I always wanted to play basketball,” Terique Owens said. “I wasn’t a big fan of football. My mom tried to get me to play football, but I didn’t care to play. I didn’t like contact.”
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Finally, as a sophomore at Bishop O’Dowd High in Oakland, Owens decided to give football a try. Although he did not get a lot of playing time in high school, he found that he liked his new sport.
On Wednesday, Terique, who played wide receiver at Missouri State, took part in the 49ers’ local pro day at Levi’s Stadium. His dad watched from the sideline.
“He’s a late bloomer,” Terrell said of his son. “Obviously, he has the physical attributes for a receiver. For him, it’s all about reps; it’s all about experience. I think once he gets on a roster, that’s where he’ll be able to improve and enhance his skillset. He just needs to get his foot in the door. After that, it’s up to him.”
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Terique is not expected to get drafted later this month, but he is hoping for an opportunity to sign with an NFL club as a free agent.
Terique (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) recently posted strong numbers during his pro day at the University of Missouri. He ran 4.51 seconds in the 40-yard dash with a vertical of 38.5 inches and a broad jump of 10-4.
“He’s definitely faster than I was at that age,” said Terrell Owens, who posted a pre-draft time of 4.63 seconds in the 40.
Terrell said he progressively got faster throughout his NFL career while catching 1,078 passes for 15,934 and 153 touchdowns. He ranks third all-time in yards receiving and touchdowns receptions and eighth in catches.
After one season at Contra Costa College, Terique transferred to Florida Atlantic before moving onto Missouri State. In his final season, he caught 28 passes for 528 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games.
The question is whether Terique has shown enough potential to land in an NFL camp and get an opportunity to stick around.
“I know that process because I’ve been in there and seen guys come into camp and get on the practice squad or whatever,” Terrell Owens said. “You just got to go in and find your niche and compete on an everyday basis.
“You have to stand out. There’s got to be something unique about you. You can’t just blend in. There are a lot of great football players across the country. What is it about you that stands out that is going to ‘wow’ or open the eyes of scouts and GMs and coaches?”
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