ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The only person who didn't seem the least bit caught up in the "T.O. Mania" that swept through Buffalo was the man himself.
Despite his flamboyant persona, Terrell Owens did his very best to maintain a low profile during his first on-field practice as a member of the Bills.
That is, as low as a profile can be kept with a large crowd gathered at the airport to welcome him to town, cameras for his reality-TV show following his every move, the mayor of Buffalo presenting him with a key to the city, and the largest media contingent to ever show up for a voluntary offseason workout here solely because No. 81 would be running pass routes in a helmet, jersey and spandex pants.
Owens didn't do anything spectacular in the first of 11 organized team activity sessions that will be held over the next three weeks. He had one notable catch, beating tight coverage by cornerback Terrence McGee to snatch a deep throw by Trent Edwards. Otherwise, he had a drop, a couple of throws intended for him that were knocked down by defenders, and several plays where he either was the intended receiver and Edwards didn't throw it to him or he simply blocked for the run or ran a clearing route.
For the most part, Owens went about his work in the Ralph Wilson Field House in a quiet, business-like fashion. Apparently, mid-May is a little too soon for us to be getting our "popcorn ready." And there is never a need to do so when there isn't a game to play.
It's all part of getting acquainted -- or re-acquainted -- with one of the biggest stars in the NFL and easily the biggest to join the Bills in quite some time.
"That's pretty much how I am at practice," Owens said of his unassuming style on the field. "For you guys getting familiar with me and how I practice and go about practice, that's how I am when I'm at practice. And once I get familiar with the guys, we'll start jawing at each other, but right now my focus is really just trying to get this offense down and see what ways I can help the team."
Owens wasn't the least bit fazed by the fact that about 50 reporters and photographers were on hand for an offseason practice.
"This is nothing," he said with a smile. "This is light. I played in Philadelphia, I played in Dallas … this is light."
For Owens, maybe, but not for his new teammates.
As part of a club that has gone nine years without making the playoffs, they have become accustomed to being mostly ignored when it comes to the media spotlight. They know it is not at all routine to have so many cameras around the field this time of year.
"No, it's not ordinary for us," safety Donte Whitner said. "When you have a guy like that, he brings the spotlight with him. From playing with the San Francisco 49ers, Philly and the things that transpired there, and Dallas and the way he left (the Cowboys) and what he brings to this football team, we knew it would be like this. It's different, but I guess we'll get used to it."
For now, the priority for Owens and his offensive teammates is to get used to each other. Besides learning a new playbook, the wide receiver is also learning the tendencies of a new quarterback and how to work in tandem with No. 1 incumbent receiver Lee Evans as well as the rest of Buffalo's pass-catching corps.
"I felt like a rookie, just trying to get the plays down," Owens said. "We have a lot of verbiage going in, so (I'm) really just trying to concentrate on the snap count, listening to the plays and all of that stuff. I'm just trying to be out here to get chemistry down, get in sync with Trent and the offense."
Owens' presence isn't just important to his side of the ball. The Bills' defenders also can benefit from it.
Although nothing was ever spoken about it, members of the defense seemed to be on a mission to keep the ball away from Owens. They clearly made him a gauge to measure the level of their own performance. On every route, Owens had a defensive back in close range. On one play, second-year cornerback Leodis McKelvin did a good job of standing him up at the line.
"When we practice against him and Lee Evans, those are two of the top receivers in this league," Whitner said. "So if our corners can go out and compete with those guys every day, then we don't have to worry about anybody else on another football team. I know the secondary felt that way and there were a couple of times that our linebackers drove on the football."
All in all, Owens seems to be a big hit with his new teammates. Given his history of extreme divisiveness everywhere he's been, it's anyone's guess how long that will last.
Owens, himself, treaded carefully on the topic of being a leader, saying, "I can do that and it can be blown out of proportion just like last year. There'll be clips shown of me barking at a guy, this and that. In my mind that's leadership, but in somebody else's eyes that's me being disruptive to the team, so for me, I'll voice my opinion when need be. But overall, if you ask my teammates, I'm pretty much a quiet guy."
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