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Owens mini-bio

Want to read all about Terrell Owens' past? The DFW S-T trots out a long article about Owens and growing up in Alexander City, AL. If you've read about his story before, then most of this will be familiar. But I did come across some items of interest, like the fact that Owens was a spelling bee champion! And this story about getting to finally start on the high school team.

It took an illness to Ricky Morgan for Owens to crack the starting lineup during his senior season [of high school]. When Morgan was hospitalized with pneumonia, Owens started and scored a touchdown in front of a Tennessee-Chattanooga recruiter there watching fellow receiver and close friend Derek Hall.

Morgan ended his senior season in the secondary. Owens ended up following Hall to UTC after the Division I-AA school offered Owens a partial scholarship. (A Pell Grant covered the rest of his expenses.)

"One thing led to another for him after that," Morgan said. "It still amazes me to see him playing on Sunday. Nowadays, I have a hard time convincing people I started over him. I mean, I'm only 5-8, 180 pounds. I don't have near the build that Terrell has."

Owens didn't have his build -- he's now 6-foot-3 and 226 pounds -- then either. He was only 6 foot, 175. "Skinny" is how he refers to his body back then. Basketball was his preferred sport.

The RanchReport.com has a story on our newest NT, Samuel Taulealea (sub. req.). Here are a few highlights:

When asked about a thick scar that wraps around his right wrist and forearm, he tells the tale of when he was a teenager, and he was diving with his father of the coast of Hawaii, shucking shellfish with a knife.

A barracuda, nearly four feet long, saw sunlight flash off the blade of the knife and tried to take it, removing a chunk of Taulealea's arm instead.

Doesn't everyone have a story like that? Ha!

So what is Sammy T's story? He grew up in Hawaii, played high school football and went to the University of Colorado on a scholarship. He washed after his third year because of grades and ended up finishing his college days playing for Concordia College in Montreal, Quebec. He thought he was done with football until he got an invitation to play for the Berlin Thunder in NFLE, and then signed with the Cowboys.

Here in Big D, he is reunited with his former teammate at Colorado, Andre Gurode.

His arrival at Valley Ranch represented a reunion for Taulealea with Dallas offensive lineman Andre Gurode, a former teammate and close friend when the two played at Colorado. After heading to Canada, however, Taulealea lost touch with Gurode. "I didn't even realize `Dre' was here," Taulealea said. "We were pretty tight in Boulder - we did some real damage at some all-you-can-eat buffets around town."

Oh boy, the Tuna isn't going to like Sammy T and Gurode getting fat on his watch.

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