Dallas Cowboys Receiver Terrell Owens Denies Attempted Suicide

By Mark Hoerrner

Only in mixing with celebrity would you find an allergic reaction to pain medication being used to counter an account of an attempted suicide. Last night, Dallas Cowboys perpetual drama machine Terrell Owens was hospitalized after his publicist called 911 to treat her client. During the ensuing response, Dallas Police officers noted in a report that Owens admitted to being depressed and that he answered positively when asked if he was trying to take his own life.

"There was no suicide attempt," Owens said during an afternoon press conference. He was alert and humble. "I took a couple of pain pills. The rumor of me taking 35 pain pills, that’s absurd."

Owens also claimed that rumors circulating about having had his stomach pumped were also untrue.

"I think it’s unfortunate to go from an allergic reaction to a suicide attempt," he said.

It was Owens’ publicist, Kim Etheredge, who actually called 911 when she noticed that T.O. was not himself at his Dallas residence. Owens’ pastor was also at the house. Though previous statements to the press from Etheredge indicated that she had physically tried to retrieve pills from Owens’ mouth, she now recanted that statement.

"The reason I called 911 was because he was not in his normal, responsive state," she said. This differs with public safety reports that list the initial call as an attempted suicide.

At 7:51 p.m., Dallas Police officers were called by paramedics treating Owens. A bottle of the pain pill Hydrocodone, a generic form of Vicodin, was found on the table. Police asked Owens if he had taken the remainder of the pills. Police reports state that Owens replied affirmatively to having taken the whole bottle of pills, though Owens now claims that the rest of the pills were tucked safely in a nearby drawer.

Former football star turned ESPN commentator Michael Irvin spoke with Owens shortly before his 3:30 p.m. press conference today. Irvin, who has been in touch with T.O. since yesterday, asked him what happened.

"Michael, I am trying to get back on the football field and I went out catching passes yesterday. When I came home, my hand was really hurting," Owens told Irvin.

He explained to Irvin that he took "a couple" of pain pills in conjunction with some natural supplements in order to relieve the discomfort he was feeling, but that he took too many of them.

Etheredge echoed her client’s claims and denied that her client was suffering from depression, though she had indicated that during previous statements.

"I did not say Terrell was depressed," she said. "Terrell did not say he was depressed."

She did add, however, that she had been up late and that she could not remember everything that she had said over the last 24 hours. She emphasized, however, that Owens had no reason to take his own life.

"Terrell has 25 million reasons why he should be alive," she said.

Owens was released from the hospital today around noon and spent the afternoon working out with Cowboys quarterback Drew Bledsoe. When asked by reporters at his press conference whether or not he would be at practice tomorrow, he was positive.

"I should," he said, smiling.