Terrell Owens is a proud UTC Mocs alumnus
It was from that conversation that it jump-started
the company. With the help of his friend, Owens
created clothing samples. A little time later, the
company was born. However, the company still
needed a name. The 81 was his jersey number,
but he still wanted to have something that was
catchy but relatable. has it in them. Everybody is a prototype. I’m just
Prototype 81.”
“I started to think about how I got in the
league, how I would assess if somebody saw me,
especially with the scouts when I was coming
out of college,” said Owens. “They assessed my
physical attributes, which were my speed, size
and things of that nature. Initially, I wanted to
try to play off how people perceive me, especially
in the football world that watched me play.
Everybody started to figure I had an ego, so I
wanted to name the brand Ego and play off that.
Once I started doing some research and tried
to trademark it, but somebody already had the
trademark for Ego.”
With his first option taken, he continued to
ponder what direction he would like to go in
with the name. He tried to come up with some
new ideas, but they did not stick the way that
Ego did. He once again began to think about his
career. It was then that a new idea would come to
mind. This time it stuck.
“I started in my mind to see the word Prototype,”
he said. “My initials are T.O. You can’t spell
prototype without T.O. I just thought it was a
perfect fit. The definition of a prototype is the
basis on which something is formed or made.
That’s how I am. From a small town guy out of
Alabama to a small school in Chattanooga and
then all these things that came about to form the
T.O. that landed in the National Football League.
You’re going to have only a few number of people
that believe in you, or they think that you have
potential. I’ve always been looked at as a kid that
has potential. Everybody has potential, but it’s
something about you on the inside in that DNA,
it’s that prototype which I am that sets yourself
apart, and it puts you in the forefront. Everybody
12
Owens wore #80 in college to honor Jerry Rice
www.coachandplayer.com
Once the 15-year veteran had
the brand name down, the
road to building his business
accelerated.
It has not always been smooth. He is learning
some lessons as the company is starting out.
“It can be very frustrating,” Owens said.
“Knowing what I know now, just because people
have money to invest, those aren’t necessarily the
best people to enter a partnership with. What
I’ve experienced is a complete nightmare. When
you have investors that are not in it for the same
reason that you are, then there’s a disconnect.
You have to have people who understand
whatever business that you’re partnering with,
they should have some experience with that
project. I’ve realized there are smart investments
and there are dumb investments. I feel like
I’ve gotten myself into one of those dumb
investments where I didn’t take the time to
really do my due diligence as far as whom I was
partnering with. In terms of partnering with an
investor, they have to have the same passion,
that emotional commitment, and not just solely
a financial commitment to whatever it is that
you’re partnering with in terms of that project.
That’s what I learned along the way.
I’ve always known that there are going to be
ups and downs to everything. It’s just like life.
There’s going to be hiccups here and there,
but I think for me, you have to have the right
partners involved with whatever it is that you’re
passionate about. I can’t be more passionate
than my investor. They would at least have
that, bring something to the table besides a
financial commitment. Even if they’re going