Since his final NFL game on Dec. 19, 2010, Terrell Owens has entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame, played in the Arena Football League and Fan-Controlled Football and let it be known he thought he could still play in the NFL, too.

On Saturday, the Benjamin Russell High School alumnus was back on the field again – the softball field – and he won the Most Valuable Player Award for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith’s charity softball game in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Smith’s team, with Owens in the lineup, defeated a team led by Washington Commanders wide receiver Jahan Dotson 14-5 at Coca-Cola Park, the home field of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.

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A five-time first-team All-Pro wide receiver, Owens has kept his eye on his Saturday host, teammate and coach since being on hand when Smith caught a 41-yard touchdown pass to end Alabama’s 26-23 overtime victory against Georgia in the CFP national championship game for the 2017 season.

“That was my first time seeing him ball out,” Owens told Josh Tolentino of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I’ve admired this guy’s game for so long. He’s been excelling ever since. He’s obviously doing really great things in Philly, where the expectations are high …

“His game speaks for itself.”

In his first two NFL seasons, Owens had 95 receptions for 1,456 yards and 12 touchdowns. He ranks eighth in receptions and third in receiving yards and touchdown receptions in NFL history after catching 1,078 passes for 15,934 yards and 153 touchdowns across 15 seasons.

Since joining the Eagles from the Crimson Tide as the 10th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Smith has 159 receptions for 2,112 yards and 12 touchdowns in his first two NFL seasons. He set franchise records for receiving yards by a rookie in 2021 and receptions by a wide receiver in 2022.

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Both Owens and Smith have played in the Super Bowl for Philadelphia.

In last season’s Super Bowl LVII, Smith had seven receptions for 100 yards despite suffering an ankle injury in a 38-35 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 12.

Owens came into Super Bowl XXXIX seven weeks after having surgery following a broken leg and torn ankle ligament, but he had nine receptions for 122 yards in a 24-21 loss to the New England Patriots on Feb. 6, 2005.

Owens thinks the Eagles have what it takes to get back to the big game this season.

“Jalen Hurts, they’ve got him secured at the quarterback position,” Owens said. “Now, they just have to stay healthy. They’ve got a good roster. They’ve assembled together a great team. They came up short this past year. But they were a few plays away from winning a championship. …

“They need to take it one game at a time. The goal is to win the Super Bowl. They can’t look too far ahead, but everybody knows what’s at stake.”

Not too long after Smith would like to be playing in Super Bowl LVIII, Owens is scheduled to tackle his next football venture – the Beach Football League.

A project of former New England Patriots outside linebacker Tully Banta-Cain, the Beach Football League bills itself as “the world’s first tackle football league on sand.” With an eight-on-eight format, the BFL plans a February exhibition to introduce the game before launching league play in June 2024.

Owens is on the list of former NFL players who plan to play. Others include Prince Amukamara, Corey Dillon, Jamie Collins, Pacman Jones, Devin McCourty, Bryant McKinnie and Patrick Willis.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.