Who would have thought that Terrell Owens, one of the biggest stars in the nation's biggest league, could look so small?
But there he was, dwarfed by a bodyguard to his left and a considerably larger friend to his right, signing copies of his new book, Catch This.
But to the hundreds of fans who turned out at Barnes and Noble in Rittenhouse Square for last night's signing, the 6-foot-3 Eagles wide receiver was larger than life.
Fans began arriving seven hours in advance for the chance to get their book signed by Owens, and really not much else.
While certainly polite, Owens offered his readers little more than a smile and a signature on the title or cover page.
And yes, he did sign the books with a Sharpie.
The three rules: no personal questions, no pictures with Owens and no signatures on memorabilia, only the book.
But those rules did little to curtail the hype surrounding one of the NFL's most controversial, and perhaps misunderstood figures.
Owens has been known as a hothead since his earliest days with the San Francisco 49ers, where he often had run-ins with then-coach Steve Mariucci. He has also been called a hot dog for his touchdown celebrations, including signing a football with a Sharpie hidden in his sock and posing on the star in Dallas.
The book, however, portrays a different "T.O."
Stefani Dichiari, who lives in Delaware but grew up in the South, relates to Owens' Alabama upbringing and managed to see a gentler Owens than most NFL fans see.
"He doesn't seem like that bad of a guy, actually," he said.
Catch This, co-authored by Stephen Singular, takes readers on a journey through Owens' life from being raised by a tough grandmother in Alabama to his feud with former 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia, and everywhere in between.
While Owens is an unquestionable superstar in today's NFL, readers like Michael Haas of Radnor, Pa., did not necessarily know much about Owens' football career before the NFL.
"What surprised me most was that he was never a star at any level until he hit the NFL," Haas said. "He was nothing in high school and he was a minor prospect in college."
Haas and Dichiari agreed that the book, which sells for $23 at Barnes and Noble and $16.10 on Amazon.com, is an excellent read for students.
They both thought the value comes from the way in which Owens went from a tough upbringing to the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga to NFL stardom.
"If you work hard you can get what you want," Dichiari said. "Do the right stuff so you can get where you want to be."
Owens, who tends to bring controversy wherever he goes, is in some hot water now, with former teammates dismissing Owens' claims as nonsense.
But Owens, instead of letting it bother him, just remembers his past.
"My grandmother didn't raise a liar."
