Stephen A. Smith: “I’m scared for Terrell Owens”

This morning on ESPN’s “First Take”, Stephen A. Smith, Skip Bayless, and Eric Mangini discussed Terrell Owens being released by the Allen Wranglers, a team in the IFL. Mangini and Bayless had typical answers regarding his career, but Stephen A. Smith seemed genuinely shaken when the question was passed on to him. To say that it was kind of eerie to hear him speak about his feelings towards Terrell Owens is an understatement.

During the interview, Stephen A. Smith was quoted as saying
“Well I guess the best way for me to put it is… I’m scared for Terrell Owens. I really am… you look at this situation right now, it’s regressed beyond the realms of embarrassment. Now I’m to the point where I’m scared. I’m scared for him, I’m scared whats going to happen to him… I’m scared of what he feels and ultimately what action’s he may take, I don’t know. This is a scary situation right now.”

If you remember, Owens HAS had episodes of which I can only assume Stephen A. was making reference to. Terrell Owens was rushed to an L.A. hospital for a possible pill overdose in October 2011. According to Terrell’s assistant, T.O. was trying to kill himself. During the 911 call, the dispatcher asked the assistant on the phone, “Was this a suicide attempt?” and she responded, “Yes, I believe so.”
He had a similar incident in 2006. According to the Smoking gun,

Controversial football star Terrell Owens attempted suicide last night by taking an overdose of prescription pain pills, according to a Dallas Police Department report. A copy of the report can be found below. The Dallas Cowboys wide receiver, 32, was depressed and told cops that he was trying to harm himself, the report states. A female companion of the athlete told officers that Owens last week filled a prescription for 40 pain pills, but had only taken five of the pills up to yesterday. Owens told police that he had taken the balance of the pills last night. The woman, who has been identified as Kim Etheredge, Owens’s publicist, also told responding officers (RO/S) that she observed Owens (identified in the report as ‘comp,’ or complainant) put two pills in his mouth, which she tried to retrieve by placing her fingers in his mouth. He was treated at Baylor University Medical Center for a drug overdose. While the police document does not name Owens, Dallas media reports (including one from WFAA-TV, which broke the Owens story) have identified him as the ‘victim’ referred to in the report. Early this morning, ESPN reported that Owens had been taken to a hospital emergency room after suffering an adverse reaction to painkillers, which had been prescribed as a result of broken hand suffered during a September 17 game against the Washington Redskins

If something really is to come of T.O. being cut from the IFL as Smith fears, I sincerely hope that he can get the help that he needs. I don’t believe that Stephen A. Smith would say that he’s scared for T.O. on national television if he didn’t truly believe that the man may be in trouble. If this is true, this isn’t about football anymore. This is about a man’s life.

If you want to see the discussion in its entirety with Stephen A., Eric Mangini and Skip Bayless, here is the link to that interview.