I�m Grant Gardner and you�re listening to Statistically Speaking, a podcast from the Samford University Center for Sports Analytics in Birmingham, Alabama. I�m Zachary Taunton and each week we are going to explore how big data and advances analytics is impacting the business side of sports. So, here is this week�s episode... --- Zachary Taunton (ZT): Welcome back to Statistically Speaking. We are here with the one and only Terrell Owens. So, how you doing today Terrell? Terrell Owens (TO): I�m doing good, it�s Terrell. ZT: It�s Terrell! So real quick let's talk about sports analytics and the NFL. So, how has sports analytics changed the game, in the NFL? TO: I mean you think about really them trying to speed up the game with you know trying to make the game faster. You think about completion percentage and you think about a lot of the other numbers, especially in terms of receivers are concerned. You seen the inflation of yards by a number receivers. I would probably the last five 5 maybe 8 years they've changed really - how I am going to say this - as far as the point of contact. Obviously, with the number of concussions and things of that nature they have taken a lot of the hands-on stuff away from the game to try to obviously make it safer. But you talk about analytics, a lot of that has really factored into where now guys are putting up astronomical numbers. You think about the QBR ratings of a lot of quarterbacks, their completion percentages, things of that nature. All these things factor into really, again, an inflation of a lot of statistics from each position. ZT: Okay, so we know a lot of teams are using analytics to help their game. From an individual perspective, as a player, did you even pay attention to those to help your game or is that just not a concern for you? TO: Not really, I think maybe if you think about fantasy football I mean that may factor into it, but no I really didn't let that you know tinker, deter or maybe motivate me to do anything differently than what I was doing. I think you know if you just stay true to who you are I mean the statistics speak for themselves and I think a lot of guys have been outspoken. Especially, with a lot of the fans that are involved with fantasy football and things of that nature. I know it's a lot of money involved in so these fans get very upset when guys sit out, or they're hurt, or they don't play hurt. Again cause it affects I guess their pool or what have you, but we don't play the game you know for those benefits we play the game obviously to win number one. As far as anything personal we all have our personal goals and which we're trying to accomplish and reach but we try not to let the outside you know factor into what we are supposed to be doing you know within the lines. ZT: Now, you�re talking about personal goals...for a moment, really quickly, talk about your legacy in the game. Are you the best to have ever played? TO: Some say I am if you consider...I know me personally I'll always say Jerry Rice is the greatest of all time, but I think if you really sit down as a fan and and not think so much of the fan really understand what quarterbacks he was able to play with versus what I was able to play with he really didn't have a drop off in terms of quarterback, of the caliber of quarterback. I mean he started out with Joe Montana and he goes from really one Hall of Famer to another one in Steve Young. For me, I played only a few years with Steve. I didn't really play at the height of my career with a guy that was obviously you know a veteran quarterback, a Hall of Fame quarterback in Steve Young, but I did play with Jeff Garcia, I played with Elvis Grbac, I played with Tim Rattay, Jeff Brohm and then I go to Philly and I play with Donovan McNabb. Played with Ty Detmer. I played with a number of quarterbacks and was able to produce with pretty much every quarterback that I played with. Then I leave Philly and I go down to Dallas and I play with Drew Bledsoe for a little bit then I play with Tony Romo. So again then I leave there and go to Buffalo to play with Ryan Fitzpatrick and play with Carson Palmer. So when you think about from a fan perspective and even for an analyst perspective you want to be really true, those quarterbacks don't really stack up to you know a guy like Joe Montana or Steve Young. So when you think about what I really brought to the table really I had to adjust my game to every quarterback that I played with. So that was really a testament to what I brought to the game, what I was able to do, what I was able to learn. I'm considering that I didn't really know how to play the receiver position. I was groomed obviously you know from college and into the pros, but I was really raw and green. ... What really made me the best? Coming out of high school I wasn't considered to be a star or eye pop I was able to really hone in on those things. You got to do something or you got to do nothing and so for me I just really applied myself and I didn't want to be average so I had to bridge that gap some how some way to go from good to great. Grant Gardner: That was our interview with Terrell Owens from the ASHOF 2018 Induction Ceremony weekend. We apologize for the technical difficulties, but we hope you were still able to get something out of our interview with T.O. Thanks for listening --- Thank you for listening to Statistically Speaking. This podcast was created and produced by Zach Taunton and Grant Gardner. To learn more about the Samford University Center for Sports Analytics, and download more episodes of the podcast, visit our webpage at samford.edu/sports-analytics and follow us on Twitter @SamfordSACenter.