IRVING, Texas -- Terrell Owens returned Friday to his two favorite places: the football field and the spotlight.
Entering the locker room before his first formal workout with the Dallas Cowboys, Owens smiled wide when he saw the throng of cameras and reporters waiting for him. He excused himself to get lip balm, smeared it on, then kept grinning throughout a 15-minute chat that might still be going on if a team official hadn't ended it.
"I'm here with a great coach, a great team, a great owner," Owens said. "I'm looking forward to the opportunity that I can make to help this team win. That's why they brought me in here."
Then he went about trying to prove it.
Wearing the star logo he once trashed, his fast-selling No. 81 jersey and blue tights that made him easily identifiable, Owens caught every pass thrown his way except one in a nearly two-hour practice -- his first full-squad workout since being banished by the Philadelphia Eagles almost exactly seven months before.
Owens repeatedly beat cornerback Anthony Henry, who ironically was signed last offseason to cover bigger receivers such as Owens. Owens even snagged one pass after slipping during his route.
The only ball he didn't catch came on one of the final plays. Cornerback Terence Newman intercepted it and ran to the end zone amid shouts of joy from safety Keith Davis.
Coach Bill Parcells presumably was impressed by his new receiver, but didn't say. He's refusing to answer any questions about Owens, even saying,"Who?" to an innocuous one after reminding reporters the subject was off limits until training camp.
Owens, meanwhile, answered every question.
Why not? This starts his honeymoon phase in Dallas, with teammates unanimously saying how happy they are to have someone so talented on their side and everyone vowing to give him a clean slate.
"I'll be surprised if anything happens. I really will," said quarterback Drew Bledsoe, the likeliest target of any Owens fits based on his history."He's been welcomed here and will continue to be as long as he's the guy he has been in the past, in terms of his work ethic, his professionalism on the field."
Tight end Jason Witten said: "All I can do is judge him on what I see. So far, he's been great, works really hard."
Guard Marco Rivera put it this way: "That guy, you put him on your team and you're in contention. Look what he did for Philly."
Look what he did for Philly, indeed.
After ending a troubled stay in San Francisco, Owens was a pass-catching monster in his first season with the Eagles, helping them win 13 of 14 games before breaking a bone in his leg. He recovered far sooner than anyone expected and played great in a Super Bowl loss to New England. Then came more trouble.
His relationship with quarterback Donovan McNabb, coach Andy Reid and the rest of the organization dissolved within months. His final practice there was Nov. 4. The next day, he was suspended for the rest of the season.
Owens didn't want to discuss his Philadelphia tenure, probably because he wants people to pay $25 to read all about it in a book being released right before training camp.
"It's as close to the truth as I can tell," Owens said.
The Eagles released him March 14. Four days later, the Cowboys gave him a three-year, $25 million contract that includes a $5 million bonus and $5 million salary this season.
Soon after, Owens heard reports that he'd angered by Parcells by missing offseason workouts "and [that] I'm back to my old stuff again." He was eager to address that Friday.
"He told me when to be here and what he expected of me," Owens said."And that's when I was there."
Although Owens seemed offended at the notion he was causing problems, he realizes most observers consider him always on the verge of creating another controversy.
"I am who I am and I can't change that and I can't allow people to change who I am," he said. "I think I've been successful on the football field being who I am. So, I don't care. ...
"You kind of grow and you learn from your mistakes and I think I've done that. I've had a long time to sit back and think about a lot of things that have transpired over the last year or so. So I'm taking a different approach."
How?
Owens wouldn't give specifics, although he did mention "anybody can be humbled."
Parcells is good at doing the humbling, too. His authority is among the reasons players cited most about why they expect things to work out with Owens.
"He's going to be zero tolerant," Witten said of Parcells. "He's here to win games and he doesn't have time to mess around. That's what he told us yesterday."
Owens said he's looking forward to playing for Parcells.
"I feel I am straight shooter and so is he," Owens said. "I feel like it's a match made in heaven."
As for his relationship with Bledsoe, both say it's coming along great. The closest thing to a strain so far is Owens "bugging him when he is on the golf course" with text messages, the receiver jokingly said.
On Friday, the only people Owens' presence bothered were Henry on the field and tight end Brett Pierce in the locker room. Pierce, you see, has the misfortune of having the stall next to Owens'.
"I can't get to my locker any more," Pierce said. "Take the good with the bad, I guess."