National Football League

Owens shopping sitcom on 'my life'

Published Jul. 6, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

NFL star Terrell Owens wants to indulge his infamous ego off the field — by portraying a character based on himself in a sitcom called "8 & 1."

The brash Cincinnati Bengals and former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver is shopping around a TV show in which he would star opposite actors inspired by his real-life baby mamas and kids, Owens told Flash exclusively.

“It’s loosely based on my life and my career. I have four kids by three different moms,” T.O. said. “It will showcase my skills as an actor, which is something I want to do after football.”

In “8 & 1” — a play on T.O.’s number 81 — Owens would play an NFL star named Terrell O’Neal nearing the end of his career who lives with his mother, his best friend, two baby mamas, and four kids.

Owens previously starred in a VH1 reality series “The T.O. Show.” and just filmed a role in the movie “Dysfunctional Friends” opposite Stacey Dash (whom he mentions with such frequency and breathlessness, we wonder if he has a crush.)

“It’s no different from football — it’s all about hard work,” Owens said of honing his acting craft. “I have a good work ethic. If I can put the same effort into acting. Now I watch a movie and I pay attention to camera angles and body language. It’s 3-D.”

The idea for the show was born in 2006, says creator Courtney Parker, a former writer for “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and longtime T.O. pal.

“Terrell had an incident when he was in Dallas when he had that accidental overdose and mixed painkillers with supplements,” Parker said. “The crazier that T.O. would be on the field, the smaller the Terrell we all knew and love became. If you knew him, you’d understand the personality he invented was for football. I thought the tension would be an interesting show.”

Owens, 37, who had knee surgery in April, also said he wants to resume his stalled football career with a team “that has a high chance of winning the Super Bowl” once his injuries heal.

“I’m rehabbing to get it back to full strength. I’ll be back before they expect,” he said.

But Owens acknowledges that his prima donna reputation won’t make joining another team easy — even if he’s healthy enough to play.

“It’s tough. A lot of people have the perception that I’m arrogant, I’m difficult to get along with, that I’ve disrupted a lot of teams,” Owens said. “It’s hard to dispel the stuff the media puts out and it’s a never-ending battle.”