Former NFL player Terrell Owens arrives at the ESPY Awards at the Microsoft Theater on Wednesday, July 13, 2016, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)A potentially great weekend for University of Tennessee at Chattanooga alumni became even better with one seven-second message from its most famous gridiron alum.
"Chattanooga, here I come. Let's go, Mocs," Terrell Owens said. "See you tomorrow."
Owens, who ranks second in receiving yards, third in receiving touchdowns and sixth in receptions all-time in NFL history, decided to make his second consecutive trip to UTC for homecoming festivities. He had planned to attend Friday night's volleyball match between the Mocs and Wofford and is scheduled to be at the football game today.
After last season's resounding 41-13 win over Western Carolina, Owens went in the locker room and led the "Too Hype" chant with the team.
"Considering last year's heartfelt and warm reception after 19 years since my last homecoming, it is an absolute pleasure to be back! #ProudMoc" Owens tweeted during the day.
His return is one of a number of things going on around downtown Chattanooga this weekend.
Hall of Fame women's basketball player Regina Kirk will be holding a fundamental skills clinic this morning from 9 to 11:30 at Arts & Sciences, with an alumni coed basketball game to be played at noon.
Kirk is the all-time leading scorer (2,376) and rebounder (1,086) in UTC women's history. She was a four-time All-Southern Conference performer, was the most valuable player of the 1986 SoCon tournament and in 2011 was voted into the SoCon Hall of Fame.
Chad "Chig" Martin, who played for Buddy Nix from 1986 to 1991, was planning a concert at Puckett's tonight at 8, but it has been pushed back to Oct. 22 after the Mocs' next home game, against Virginia Military Institute. Martin is the front man for the Chig Martin Band, a band of Nashville-based touring musicians, in addition to his job as a hat designer for Bollman Hat Company, the oldest hat maker in the United States.
"I think Russ Huesman is the best thing to ever happen to Chattanooga football," Martin said in a recent email. "He is not only a great coach but even a better person. I did not play with Coach Huesman nor did he coach me, but when he took the role as UTC head football coach, he assumed the role of being there for every former player.
"Coach Huesman has shown me unbelievable support. I just love him and his entire family, and so proud of the caliber of kids that he is winning with."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.