You don’t always get a second shot in football. But when you do—and when Terrell Owens is in the building backing you—you’ve got to make it count.
Former Colorado wide receiver Javon Antonio took the field for the DC Defenders over the weekend in a pivotal UFL showdown against the Houston Roughnecks. And in the stands? None other than TO himself, showing love to a young man trying to make his dream real again.
It wasn’t a great night—Antonio caught two passes for 24 yards but also fumbled twice in a tough 24-21 loss—but the moment was about more than the box score.
Terrell Owens, Coach Prime’s guy, still shows up for Buffs
Owens is no stranger to Buffs Nation. As a longtime friend of Deion Sanders, he’s been around Boulder plenty over the past year. That connection naturally extended to some of CU’s standout transfers, including Antonio.
“I got a chance to meet with him and spent a lot of time with him at the University of Colorado,” Owens told Jenny Taft during the FOX broadcast. “He’s getting a chance to reach the next level. Not the path he wanted, but I told him—keep fighting, just keep working hard and put everything on tape.”
That mentorship clearly made an impression on Antonio, who’s leaned heavily on the Hall of Famer’s advice.
“I watched him growing up…”
This wasn’t just a one-off shoutout from TO. The two have developed a real bond, and Antonio has taken every opportunity to soak up the game from one of the best to ever do it.
“I watched him growing up,” Antonio said in September of 2023, “so I’m trying to learn the same techniques that he did on the field.”
That’s a 6-foot-4, 225-pound receiver learning directly from a legend with the same physical build and play style. It’s easy to see why Antonio’s still chasing this thing with full belief.
The road from Boulder to the UFL
Antonio’s time in Boulder was short but memorable. He appeared in 10 games in 2023, starting the final six, and posted 17 catches for 209 yards and two touchdowns. His breakout moment came against Arizona State, where he tallied 81 yards and a score—including a clutch 43-yard grab that set up the game-winning field goal.
Before Colorado, Antonio was a force at Northwestern State, piling up over 1,200 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns across two seasons, including a Second Team All-Southland nod in 2022. His junior college stop at Hinds CC and a standout high school career at East St. John High in Louisiana paint the picture of a guy who’s battled through every level to get here.
But despite taking part in CU’s 2024 Pro Day, the NFL didn’t call. The UFL did. And now he’s fighting for every rep with the 6-3 Defenders, hoping to prove he belongs on Sundays.
A tough game, but not the end
Saturday’s performance against the Roughnecks wasn’t Antonio’s best. The stat line—two catches, two fumbles—won’t jump off the page. But this is football, and development isn’t linear.
What stood out more than the numbers was who showed up for him. In addition to Owens, former CU teammates Jimmy Horn Jr. and Xavier Weaver were in attendance. That speaks volumes about who Antonio is as a teammate—and a man.
“He’s a big receiver just like me,” Antonio said of Owens. “He played in a Super Bowl with a broken leg. He was telling me to fight through it. It’s not going to be easy, but you got to do it.”
One more chance to make noise
The Defenders wrap up their regular season this Saturday against the 7-2 St. Louis Battlehawks, a squad that features another former Buff in linebacker Carson Wells. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. MT on FOX, and you can bet Buffs fans will be watching to see how Antonio responds.
This isn’t just about football anymore. It’s about redemption, opportunity, and how far belief—plus a little help from a Hall of Famer—can take you.
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