If you know the background story, then you're probably aware that "old friend" is used in jest here. Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley was previously a receivers coach with the Dallas Cowboys when Terrell Owens was on the team. Haley has always been a fiery coach and that was no exception when Owens was late to a practice in 2006 because of what he said was an upset stomach.
"By the time I step on the field," Owens said at the time, "Todd starts cursing at me, this and that, and I'm like, 'Dude, I was in the restroom. He said, 'I don't [care] what you were doing. Everybody else is out here."'
Sounds like Haley, doesn't it? The blowup between the two got pretty messy with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones even saying at one point that discipline is possible for Haley but "this is not a reflection of T.O."
Well, teacher meets the student once again this weekend as T.O. is now part of the Buffalo Bills receivers group. Haley was asked today about his old receiver.
"I hate to go back into all that," he said. "As I’ve said, I’m grateful for my experiences in being a receiver coach for a long time and getting to be around and coached some of these guys you’ve got to be on your game all the time."
Haley also said that despite Owens' age (36), he's performing at a high level.
"He’s up close to around 700 yards receiving and it looks like he’s running with the football very well. He’s got a complementary receiver on the other side that I think creates some problems of which guy do you deal with on a down-to-down basis."
As much as I don't prefer Owens at times, it really is amazing that he's kept his body in such great shape.
"He looks like he’s playing at a high level to me. He’s a always a threat and he’s always a threat to score anywhere on the field."