Terrell Owens 'Proud' of Son Terique After WR Signs 49ers Contract as UDFA

Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens had some kind words for his son Terique, who followed in his footsteps by joining the San Francisco 49ers.

"I'm proud of him. All we ever asked for is an opportunity," Owens told Josina Anderson of CBS Sports after Terique signed with San Francisco as an undrafted free agent. "He's wanted to make his own name and carve his own path to get to where he is. We would've loved to have gotten drafted, but he's got his foot in the door. Now he has to continue to do all the right things and show people he can play."

Terique Owens began his collegiate career at Florida Atlantic before transferring to Missouri State. He recorded 28 catches for 528 yards and four touchdowns in 2023. His average of 18.9 yards per catch ranked 12th in the nation among FCS players.

49ers general manager John Lynch told reporters last week that he sees similarities between Terique and his father, who spent the first eight seasons of his NFL career with San Francisco and went on to become a six-time Pro Bowler.

"T.O. was out here at the local pro day and his son Terique performed really well and that was pretty cool," Lynch said. "I saw him running at me and I played against T.O. a lot and there was something in that stride that was very familiar. It was something about the gait. And it's crazy how those things translate."

The elder Owens added that he believes his son has what it takes to be successful in the NFL on his own merit.

"Like I told him, he doesn't have to be me; just be himself. He's just as good as any of these other kids who got drafted; the only thing is some of them have played more football than he has," Owens said. "So, he should be encouraged… He has tremendous upside and knowledge he still can gain. He can run fast and catch, just didn't play at an earlier age and really get going [until] like his senior year. So, I'm excited to see him grow more now."