SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Terrell Owens may be the most intriguing figure in the NFL. He is an immensely talented, hard-working player who goes about his business with a fervor that borders on frightening.

Owens can be an intimidating presence in the locker room for a coach or reporter. He has had his well-publicized rift with 49ers head coach Steve Mariucci. He has alienated his teammates at times, and he has shut down reporters for stretches.

But what most will remember about Owens are his desperate runs after catches, and his long-legged streaks into the end zone.

	Owens is second in the league with 1,102 receiving yards.

On a team that could otherwise be construed as somewhat ordinary, Owens makes the difference. Eleven games into the season, Owens already had surpassed 1,000 yards receiving and already notched double digits in touchdowns. Not surprisingly, he also already stirred the smoldering witch's pot of controversy. This year's antic, performed on the nationally televised stage of "Monday Night Football," involved a simple ball signing.

After catching a 37-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter in Seattle, Owens reached into his sock, pulled out a marker and signed the ball he had just caught. He then tossed it to a financial advisor who was sitting in the field box of Seahawks cornerback Shawn Springs -- the player Owens beat on the play. While most howled with laughter at Owens' unique celebratory display, others were aghast. Seattle head coach Mike Holmgren called it a disgrace. Springs, however, said he would have done the same thing if he was a receiver.

Owens compounded the situation by saying the NFL's inability to embrace flamboyant touchdowns celebrations was a reflection on race. Announcers are typically white, Owens reasoned, while the skill players scoring the touchdowns are usually black.

In a statement issued by the team, Owens softened his remarks. Later in the season, Owens established a policy of talking only to national outlets and selected radio and television stations.

No one would care what Owens said or did if he weren't so awesomely talented. Now in his seventh season, Owens is capable of taking over a game. During the 49ers' recent slump, Owens was their lone bright light. In a disheartening overtime loss to San Diego in Week 11, Owens caught seven passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns.

The next week, in a blowout loss to the Eagles, Owens hauled in 13 passes for 161 yards and two more touchdowns. While most of the team seemed reluctant to talk about the alarming loss, Owens broke a weeks-long silence.

"I am not worried," Owens said after the 38-17 humbling. "We know we didn't play well. For us to get back on track and stay in the playoffs -- we know what we have to do."

The 49ers bounced back in Week 13 with a win over the Seahawks, a game in which Owens contributed five catches for 45 yards.

Owens made his comments while clad in a Jerry Rice game jersey. Partially because of Owens' ascension, Rice was released from the 49ers after the 2000 season and has spent the last two years in Oakland. While Rice succeeds with his precision and exact route-running, Owens does it with surprising speed and awesome strength.

Raiders Pro Bowl cornerback Charles Woodson tried bumping Owens at the line during their Nov. 3 matchup. Owens was the one bumping, blowing Woodson back five yards before catching a long pass down the middle of the field.

The only strike against Owens' play is his occasional drops. But his big plays far outweigh them.

"I'm human," Owens once said of his on-field flaw.

The drops are not surprising. Owens plays with such fury that his hands aren't always in position to catch the ball. He also has honed his speed over the years, meaning he's not the most natural of sprinters.

He puts so much into getting his 230-pound frame to top speed, catching a pass sometimes doesn't figure into the equation.

But what does now figure is his relationship with Mariucci. Player and coach soothed their hurt feelings over the offseason. The pair rarely talked most of last year. Now Owens and Mariucci often entertain new ways to get Owens the ball during the game.

Mariucci has admired Owens for playing through a bruised heel injury, and Owens appreciated his coach standing by him during the "Sharpie" incident.

With Owens' success has come reward and awards. Pro Bowls, contract bonuses and endorsements all have been laid at his feet. But what Owens hungers for most is something he can put on his finger -- the ever elusive Super Bowl ring.

"I'm competitive," Owens declared last year, "and getting that ring is really all I care about."

Kevin Lynch covers the 49ers for the San Francisco Chronicle.

Material from Pro Football Weekly.
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