Meet Terique Owens, rising San Francisco 49ers star – just like his NFL Hall of Famer dad Terrell Owens once was: the Gen Zer signed a multimillion-dollar, 3-year contract right out of college

Aug 30 , 2024

Terrell and Terique Owens, father and son, share a passion for American football. Photo: @terrellowens

Despite having an NFL Hall of Famer dad, Terique preferred basketball as a kid – the American football bug bit only when he was in college, playing with the Missouri State Bears

He wasn’t picked at the 2024 NFL draft, but the San Francisco 49ers signed him as an undrafted free agent, on a 3-year contract reportedly worth US$2.8 million

It’s not unusual for children to follow in their parents’ footsteps when it comes to career choices. Many professional athletes were exposed to sports from a young age and seem to have been inspired by the trajectory of a famous parent. One of the best-known examples of this in the NBA is Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, son of Dell Curry.

Up-and-coming university basketball stars Bronny James and DJ Rodman hail from great names in basketball too: they’re the sons of LeBron James and Dennis Rodman, respectively. The same goes for legacy families in American football, where the likes of the Mannings and the Bosas have become cross-generational fixtures in the NFL.

Terique Owens signed with the San Francisco 49ers in April. Photo: @terique_owens/Instagram

One of the latest football players to follow in his father’s footsteps is Terique Owens, who signed with the San Francisco 49ers in April, following a university career playing for the Missouri State Bears. His famous dad is, of course, Hall of Famer Terrell Owens, or T.O.

Here’s everything you need to know about up-and-coming NFL star Terique Owens.

What is Terique Owens’ background?

Terique Owens – pictured here back in the day with his dad, Terrell Owens – wasn’t too keen on American football as a kid, preferring basketball instead. Photo: @terique_owens/Instagram

Owens, 24, was an active child who grew up playing all kinds of sports. But American football was not actually his first love. “I always played basketball. That’s what I wanted to play growing up,” the player revealed in an interview on the 49ers website.

He even went as far as saying he wasn’t a big fan of American football as a child: “My mom, she tried to get me to play football growing up, but I didn’t care to play. I didn’t really want to play. I didn’t like contact.”

It wasn’t until his second year at university that the self-described late bloomer to the game caught the bug – even then, it was only because he got to play with his friends.

How did Terique Owens kick off his NFL career?

Terique Owens reportedly has a three-year, US$2.8 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers. Photo: @terique_owens/Instagram