Terrell Owens Q&A

 

Thursday, April 26, 2012 | Q Editors

The football veteran on training tips, coconut water and being labeled metrosexual.

With 15 flashy seasons as a wide receiver to his name and stats that could very well earn him a place in the Hall of Fame, Terrell Owens has certainly made his mark on the NFL. But as today’s draft begins, Owens remains a free agent, and no one knows where the 2012 season will take him. What we do know for sure, however, is that his signature flair and focus are sure as hell going with him. We caught up with the athlete to explore the real-life plot lines happening on his own private T.O. Show.

Hardest workout this week:
They’re all pretty challenging if you ask me. I’m back to doing football stuff, like lifting weights. I go in and try to get the most out of my workout. It’s all about the mindset.

Biggest pet peeve:
I don’t like a lot of chit chattering in the gym — I’m not in there to talk, I’m not going to Starbucks or anything like that (laughs).

What we’d be surprised to find in his refrigerator:
Frozen turkey pot pies.

Best insider tip:
You have to take care of your body. You have to do all the maintenance, all the heavy lifting, the workout, the fine-tuning of your muscles, the stretching, the yoga. That’s how I approach anything, from a professional standpoint to a competition standpoint. Diet is also very key. If you have a high-end car, you’re not going to put cheap gas in it. You’re going to put the best things in your vehicle to keep it running properly. The same goes for your body.

Ultimate healthy meal:
Grilled blackened tilapia, salmon, brown rice, and I usually do a Greek salad without the feta cheese, with lettuce, tomato, olives, cucumbers, balsamic vinaigrette and light lemon dressing.

Ultimate decadent meal:
Fries from McDonalds are my cheat! And every now and then I have peanut butter M&M’s, Twix or Snickers.

Latest obsession:
Do people count? (laughs) No, I’ve been drinking a lot of coconut water. I’m trying to stay hydrated.

How much sleep he clocks a night:
Not as much as I should. Four to five hours — but I need a lot more than that.

Style inspiration:
A lot of people say I’m very metrosexual (laughs). I tend to dress well and I got a lot of that from my mom. She’s a seamstress and made all our clothes when we were younger. I design and decorate my own places and I think it all goes hand in hand. Fashion and home decor are definitely things I want to do. You will see a home decor line with the name “Loft 81” in a store near you!

Best vacation:
Four or five years ago I went to Milan for Fashion Week with Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks. We had a great time, it was great to see the designers and shows. But if I really wanted to relax, I would love to go to Cabo. Let’s go!

Three things still on his bucket list:
Go on a nice vacation with my close family and friends with no worries, no stress — just have a good time. I think actress Rachel Nichols is hot, so I would go on a date with her! I also want to go to Tahiti or Bora Bora and stay in one of the bungalows over the water.

Number one reason for taking care of his body:
What weeds out the good from the great athletes and superstars is their work ethic and how they take care of themselves. If your body is not in good working order, no matter how open or prepared you are, your body’s not going to be able to achieve a whole lot. So that’s been my mindset: I take care of my body in order to do the things that mentally I set myself out to do, and what I put the hard work in to do.

Message he’d send to the world with one request (Only catch: it has to be 140 characters or less): Don’t believe everything you’ve read about me.