49ers Throwback: The Original Troubled Receiver

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has recently been making headlines, but not because of his work on the field or his recovery from the major injury that sidelined him for nearly a year and a half. Instead, much of the attention surrounding Aiyuk has centered on a series of cryptic social media posts.

The former Arizona Sun Devil, selected 25th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, has made it clear he does not want to be part of the 49ers and wants to play for the Washington Commanders.

In his latest video, the sixth-year receiver said he will never step foot in the facility unless it is on Oct. 19 when he "brings the belt".

The date Aiyuk is referring to is a Monday night game when the 49ers host the Commanders.

This isn't the first time the 49ers have had to navigate issues with a volatile wide receiver, as Terrell Owens was never far from controversy during his time with the 49ers.

The 49ers drafted Owens in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft out of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and was an immediate impact, with 10 starts, second on the team in receiving with 520 yards and four touchdowns.

Over the next three seasons, Owens became a major centerpiece of the San Francisco 49ers offense, consistently leading the team in either receiving yards or touchdown receptions; however, 2000 proved to be the true breakout season for "T.O."

The Logo: San Francisco 49ers vs the Dallas Cowboys, Sept. 24, 2000

The 0-3 49ers came into the Week 4 matchup against the 1-2 Dallas Cowboys.

The 49ers went up 10-3 in the second quarter when quarterback Jeff Garcia threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Owens, increasing the lead to 17-3, but the highlight came after the score.

Owens ran to the Cowboys star in the middle of the field, extended his arms out, and looked up into the hole of the roof.

According to NFL Films, T.O. was not trying to taunt the Cowboys but to have God smile on him after the score.

When Emmitt Smith punched in a one-yard touchdown for the Dallas Cowboys to cut the deficit to 17–10, he sprinted to midfield, kneeling on the famous star logo, and slamming the football to the turf while staring directly toward the 49ers sideline.

Terrell Owens answered back in the fourth quarter after hauling in a one-yard touchdown pass that extended the San Francisco 49ers' lead to 41–17. Owens would spring back to the Cowboys logo and repeat the same celebration. Still, this time Cowboys safety George Teague delivered a hard hit that sent Owens to the ground, sparking a heated scrum between both teams.

The 49ers got their first win of the season with a 41-20 victory, but instead of talking about their dominance over a rival, the sports world focused on T.O. and his celebration.

The 49ers suspended T.O. for their next game against the Arizona Cardinals.

The 49er Choke Job: San Francisco 49ers vs Chicago Bears, Oct. 28, 2001

After the San Francisco 49ers blew a 15-point fourth quarter lead and suffered a heartbreaking 37–31 loss to the Chicago Bears, the sixth-year receiver made headlines again.

According to the Kevin Lynch SF Gate article, "Mariucci fires back at Owens/49ers' coach defends play-calling vs. Bears," Owens publicly criticized then 49ers head coach Steve Mariucci by accusing him of easing up late in the game because he did not want to embarrass his close friend and Bears head coach Dick Jauron.

"His buddy system with all the coaches around the league," Owens said. "It's like he doesn't want to embarrass a team. But you've got to understand, if you're trying to win a championship, you've got to spare feelings sometimes."

Mariucci defended himself, responding by saying Owens' comments were ridiculous.

"It's maybe the most utterly ridiculous statement I've ever read, and it's completely void of any deep thought," Mooch said in defense of Owens' accusations.

The Sharpie: San Francisco 49ers vs Seattle Seahawks, Oct. 14, 2002

Being down 20-21 in the fourth quarter against the Seahawks, Garcia threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to T.O. to give the 49ers a 26-21 lead.

After the touchdown, the two-time All-Pro pulled a Sharpie marker from his sock, signed the football, and handed it to his financial consultant, Greg Eastman, who was sitting in Seahawks cornerback Shawn Springs' luxury box, who happened to get beat for the score.

While reviewing the replay during the broadcast, the legendary Monday Night Football commentator team, Al Michaels and John Madden, watched in amusement.

"Is that a pen?" Michaels asked as he chuckled.

"He had a pen in his sock, and he pulled it out and autographed the ball," Madden said.

"Who would even think that?" Michaels said.

"Who would think of that? Terrell Owens would think of that," Madden said.

The 49ers converted the two-point conversion to take a 28–21 lead and eventually held on for the victory over the Seattle Seahawks, but instead of talking about San Francisco's impressive 4–1 start to the season, all of the attention shifted to Terrell Owens and the Sharpie.

According to the article, "The tale of two touchdown celebrations" by Joe Scalzo, Mariucci said he didn't see it.

"I didn't know about it until somebody asked me about it in the press conference," the second-year head coach said. "I was like, 'I don't know what you're talking about.'"

In eight seasons with the 49ers, Terrell Owens recorded 592 receptions for 8,572 receiving yards and 83 total touchdowns, while earning three First-Team All-Pro selections and four Pro Bowl appearances during the regular season. He also made his mark in the postseason, adding 554 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

All stats and research for this article are from pro-football-reference.com, sfgate.com, and cantonrep.com.