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Owens Leaves Camp After Exchange With Reid

Posted on: Wednesday, 10 August 2005, 21:00 CDT

Bethlehem, PA (Sports Network) - Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens left training camp Wednesday after a verbal exchange with head coach Andy Reid.

Various reports in Philadelphia say Owens skipped an autograph session with fans on Wednesday, then engaged in an argument with Reid. Owens was apparently asked to rest his strained groin muscle and take Wednesday off, but instead he was seen running pass routes with an assistant trainer. The coach then apparently asked Owens to leave camp and he was reportedly suspended for a week.

Upon leaving training camp at Lehigh University, Owens drove back to his house in Moorestown, NJ, outside Philadelphia, and was seen tossing a basketball and football with fans. He was also lifting dumbbells with his shirt off.

"I got sent home until (next) Wednesday for whatever reason," Owens told Comcast SportsNet. "It was a difference of opinion. I was defending myself."

Owens acknowledged the reason why he didn't attend Wednesday's autograph session with other Eagles wide receivers.

"When I haven't been outside signing autographs, it's because I've been on the inside rehabbing my groin," Owens said. "That's what happened today. That was the extent of it."

It has been a bumpy few months for Owens and the Eagles.

The superstar receiver traded barbs through the media with quarterback Donovan McNabb in the offseason and spoke of a desire to renegotiate his contract. He reported to training camp on time last Monday despite speculation he would be a holdout.

"I think the people are kind of ticked off because I really don't say too much," Owens continued to Comcast SportsNet. "They don't pay me to go in there and talk to everybody and be friendly to everybody. They pay me to play and they pay me to perform."

Owens is one season into a seven-year, $49 million contract he signed upon his acquisition by the Eagles last year, but believes that he has already outplayed that deal. He hired Drew Rosenhaus in the offseason to renegotiate the pact with the Eagles, but the team hasn't budged.

Still, Owens decided to show rather than pay the Eagles a $6,000 fine for every day of camp he missed.

Owens had a sensational first season in Philadelphia. Despite breaking his right leg in December, Owens recovered quickly and played in the Super Bowl, which the Eagles lost to New England. He caught 77 passes for 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns during the regular season, then hauled in nine passes for 122 yards in the Super Bowl.

The 31-year-old Owens played his first eight seasons in the NFL for San Francisco, but got into a contract squabble with the 49ers, who tried to deal him to Baltimore. That trade was rescinded after Owens refused to play for the Ravens and the Eagles worked out a deal soon after.

08/10 19:35:10 ET

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Source: The Sports Network

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