Flamboyant Dallas Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens said "there was no suicide attempt," disputing a police report on Wednesday that indicated he attempted to overdose on prescription painkillers.
The five-time National Football League Pro Bowl player, who was hospitalized on Tuesday night after rescue services and police responded to an emergency call by his publicist, said on Wednesday in a news conference at team headquarters that he mixed painkillers with nutritional supplements and became groggy.
The confusion over his condition, he said, likely stemmed from an empty bottle found by his publicist, who was with him at the time. He said the rest of the pills were in a drawer.
"I was non-responsive when she made that call," Owens said. "She made the call out of her judgment for my well-being."
Owens wore training apparel and no bandage on his broken right hand, for which the painkillers were prescribed. The 32-year-old receiver smiled and seemed more amused than mad at the latest ruckus surrounding him.
He blamed a combination of hydrocodone, a generic form of Vicodin, with all-natural supplements for making him ill.
"It's very unfortunate for it to go from an allergic reaction to a suicide attempt," he said.
Owens was released from the hospital before noon. He flashed a thumbs-up to reporters as he left, went home, then made it to team headquarters in time to catch passes from quarterback Drew Bledsoe.
Owens said he feels very capable of playing Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, despite this incident and his broken hand, injured in a game a week and a half ago. He added that he was "not depressed about anything."
Rescue workers arrived at Owens' home around 8pm. Tuesday and took him to an emergency room. When word spread, publicist Kim Etheredge said it was an allergic reaction.
But the story shifted on Wednesday morning when several media outlets received a police report -- that had yet to be released by the authorities -- saying Owens had attempted suicide. It said he put two more pills into his mouth after an unidentified friend, later identified as Etheredge, intervened.
When officially released by police, about half the document was blacked out, including references to "suicide" and "overdose."
Dallas police officials declined to comment on Etheredge's denials. "We can't discuss the police report because of privacy laws," said a spokesman, Sergeant Gil Cerda.
One of the National Football League's top receivers during his 11-year career, Owens is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.
He often has been criticized for his touchdown celebrations, which included pulling a felt-tip pen out of his sock during a 2001 game while playing with San Francisco, signing the ball and handing it into the seats.
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