When he was young, Terrell Owens learned a valuable lesson from the most influential person in his life.
“I’ve always listened and learned a lot from my grandmother and how she lived her life and how she wanted me to live my life,” the former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and NFL wide receiver told The Associated Press regarding Alice Black, who died of Alzheimer’s disease in 2012.
“No matter what people say about you – good, bad or indifferent – you just have to believe in yourself. And when you have belief in the man above, knowing you’re not perfect, the people who walk this earth aren’t perfect either, and (if) you start to pass judgment and start to believe things about people who you don’t know personally, then that’s really a reflection of yourself.”
Growing up in a poor family in Alabama, Owens had a difficult childhood and was often lonely. He was raised by his grandmother and his single mother, who spent much of her time working double shifts to support her children.
“When I was an adolescent and teenager, I had self-esteem issues,” Owens said. “I had to get out of that and understand that you have to believe in yourself in order to progress, in order to do anything in your life. I’m very proud of how my grandmother raised me.”