{"id":71951,"date":"2025-11-03T10:19:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-03T15:19:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/?p=71951"},"modified":"2026-02-24T14:34:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T19:34:32","slug":"terrell-owens-returns-home-to-inspire-engage-and-fill-finley-stadium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/11\/terrell-owens-returns-home-to-inspire-engage-and-fill-finley-stadium\/","title":{"rendered":"Terrell Owens returns home to inspire, engage and fill Finley Stadium"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Terrell

Terrell Owens, sporting an \u201cI love me some UTC\u201d T-shirt, talks at the Oct. 31 Homecoming Pep Rally in Miller Park. Photo by Angela Foster.<\/p><\/div>\n

When Pro Football Hall of Famer and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga alumnus Terrell Owens walks across campus, he still feels at home.<\/p>\n

Owens, who first made his mark on Chamberlain Field as a wide receiver in the 1990s, returned to Chattanooga for UTC\u2019s 2025 Homecoming Week from Oct. 27 to Nov. 1\u2014a celebration of pride, purpose and community that stretched far beyond the football field.<\/p>\n

This year, Owens partnered with UTC\u2019s Division of Access and Engagement to launch one of the week\u2019s most meaningful initiatives: a 500-ticket giveaway providing Hamilton County Schools students, teachers and families<\/a> with free admission to Saturday\u2019s Homecoming football game against Western Carolina at Finley Stadium.<\/p>\n

The collaboration reflects UTC\u2019s ongoing commitment to open its doors wider to the community. For Owens, it was about rekindling the hometown connection that shaped his journey.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been around the country and seen packed stadiums at places like Alabama and Colorado,\u201d Owens said at one of his many stops during the week<\/a>. \u201cI want to see Finley Stadium the same way\u2014filled with our students, families and fans from across Chattanooga. That\u2019s what Homecoming should feel like.\u201d<\/p>\n

Owens\u2019 return wasn\u2019t a brief cameo: it was a five-day celebration of mentorship, motivation and Moc spirit<\/a>, coordinated in partnership with Vice Chancellor for Access and Engagement Stacy Lightfoot and her team.<\/p>\n

\"Terrell

Terrell Owens\u2019 busy week on campus and in the community included visits to the Max Fuller Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, left, and the Boys & Girls Club of Highland Park.<\/p><\/div>\n

A week of engagement and inspiration<\/h4>\n

Last Monday, Owens kicked things off with a pickleball session at the Boys & Girls Club of Highland Park, encouraging young players to stay active and dream big. Later that evening, he joined students in the Gary W. Rollins College of Business for a conversation hosted by the Urban Vision Initiative, where they discussed entrepreneurship and perseverance.<\/p>\n

Tuesday brought Owens back to the UTC campus, where he gave golf cart rides and mingled with students on Chamberlain Field before joining the crowd for the Boo & Gold Halloween event in McKenzie Arena. Fans were delighted to see the Hall of Famer dressed as Spider-Man, laughing and posing for photos with student-athletes and families.<\/p>\n

\"Terrell

Terrell Owens dressed as Spider-Man at the Boo & Gold Halloween event.<\/p><\/div>\n

But it was Wednesday\u2019s visits to Hixson Middle and High Schools<\/a> that best captured the purpose behind his trip. Owens spoke to more than 1,500 Hamilton County students<\/a>, urging them to \u201cbe authentic, stay focused and never stop believing in yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re looking at someone who came from right here in Chattanooga and made it to the Hall of Fame,\u201d he told students. \u201cBut what matters most is how you use your gifts to lift others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Owens later sat down with Chancellor Lori Bruce for an interview in her office, reflecting on his student-athlete experience and the importance of giving back. That evening, Owens joined UTC’s Division of Advancement, alums and community members at Party Bites event space in the Camp House building that included a lively night of reconnecting, storytelling and Mocs pride.<\/p>\n

\"Terrell

Terrell Owens talks with Chancellor Lori Bruce at Founders Hall.<\/p><\/div>\n

From the locker room to the lecture hall<\/h4>\n

By Thursday, Owens\u2019 calendar was as full as Finley Stadium on game day. He began the morning courtside, making guest appearances at both the UTC women\u2019s and men\u2019s basketball practices at the Chattem Practice Facility, where he encouraged student-athletes to stay focused, disciplined and passionate about their goals. That afternoon, he visited Tyner Middle and High School, meeting with football players and coaches to talk about leadership, perseverance and character on and off the field. He also stopped by the Chattanooga Area Food Bank and Scrappy\u2019s Cupboard on campus to learn more about how food insecurity affects local students and families \u2014underscoring his commitment to giving back where it matters most. Later that evening, Owens made a special guest appearance and presentation at the NAACP Ruby Hurley Awards, where former UTC Professor of Practice and American Idol Season 2 winner, Ruben Studdard, headlined as the evening\u2019s entertainment.<\/p>\n

Friday morning, Owens joined business and civic leaders for a brunch and conversation hosted by Access and Engagement at EPB, where he discussed his post-football ventures and his desire to help build bridges between UTC and the Chattanooga community.<\/p>\n

That afternoon, he appeared alongside fellow UTC alum and author Marty McDonald at the \u201cAudacious\u201d Book Launch and Leadership Conversation<\/a> in the UTC Library Roth Reading Room\u2014sharing the stage with Rollins Scholars and UT System guests to talk about boldness, purpose and legacy.<\/p>\n

\"Author

Author Marty McDonald and Terrell Owens at the \u201cAudacious\u201d book launch in the UTC Library Roth Reading Room.<\/p><\/div>\n

Homecoming Saturday: 500 reasons to celebrate<\/h4>\n

By Saturday morning, the partnership between Owens and Access and Engagement\u2014in collaboration with Hamilton County Schools and Superintendent Justin Robertson\u2014had come to life. Outside Finley Stadium, UTC volunteers welcomed families as 1,000 complimentary game tickets were made available through the initiative, inviting more local residents to experience the pride of blue and gold, many for the very first time.<\/p>\n

Building a lasting legacy<\/h4>\n

For Owens, UTC isn\u2019t just his alma mater\u2014it\u2019s the community that helped shape his foundation and continues to be part of his purpose. He\u2019s proud that the student body has doubled since his days as a Moc and even prouder that the University\u2019s reach now extends into every neighborhood of Chattanooga.<\/p>\n

\u201cTerrell shows incredible vulnerability and passion in every interaction,\u201d Lightfoot said. \u201cWhatever the narrative once was, what\u2019s clear now is the humanitarian and philanthropist he\u2019s become. Chattanooga will always be part of that story\u2014helping him share his \u2018why\u2019 and continue a legacy built on giving back.\u201d<\/p>\n

From classrooms to courts, from pep rallies to packed stands, Owens\u2019 return reminded everyone that Chattanooga isn\u2019t just where his story began\u2014it\u2019s where he continues to write it, with purpose and heart.<\/p>\n

And as the Mocs took the field against Western Carolina, surrounded by hundreds of new fans from across Hamilton County, it was clear that this Homecoming wasn\u2019t just a return. It was a reunion, a celebration and a promise to keep Finley Stadium\u2014and the spirit of Chattanooga\u2014full for years to come.<\/p>\n

For information on how to book Terrell Owens for events, please click here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Terrell

Terrell Owens spent gameday Saturday on the Mocs sideline and meeting with fans.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When Pro Football Hall of Famer and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga alumnus Terrell Owens walks across campus, he still feels at home. The former Mocs wide receiver, who first made his mark on Chamberlain Field in the 1990s, returned to Chattanooga for UTC\u2019s 2025 Homecoming Week from Oct. 27 to Nov. 1.<\/p>\n

Continue Reading <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":71970,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_slider":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_featurette":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,123864,72,15,12659,7712,57,58,64,8325,661],"tags":[126287,126288,123804,1000,126289,7276,94688,123352,123416,126239,126291,125808,125603,126292,122520,117217,83202,126290,83370,119438],"class_list":{"0":"post-71951","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-advancement-and-alumni","8":"category-athletics","9":"category-campus","10":"category-community","11":"category-events-entertainment","12":"category-faculty-and-staff","13":"category-college-of-business","14":"category-library","15":"category-news","16":"category-service","17":"category-students","18":"tag-boo-gold-halloween","19":"tag-boys-girls-club-of-highland-park","20":"tag-division-of-access-and-engagement","21":"tag-epb","22":"tag-gold-tap-party","23":"tag-hamilton-county-schools","24":"tag-hixson-high-school","25":"tag-hixson-middle-school","26":"tag-homecoming-week","27":"tag-homecoming-week-2025","28":"tag-lip-sync-competition","29":"tag-lori-bruce","30":"tag-lori-mann-bruce","31":"tag-marty-mcdonald","32":"tag-rollins-scholars","33":"tag-stacy-lightfoot","34":"tag-terrell-owens","35":"tag-the-camp-house","36":"tag-tyner-academy","37":"tag-urban-vision-initiative","38":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nTerrell Owens returns home to inspire, engage and fill Finley Stadium | UTC News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When Pro Football Hall of Famer and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga alumnus Terrell Owens walks across campus, he still feels at home. 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