Faithful Flashbacks #50: T.O. Takes the Star

Faithful Flashbacks revisits T.O.’s infamous Dallas-star celebrations and the hit that turned them into NFL history.

Jun 30, 2026, 6:00 AM Updated: 7:20 am

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In honor of the San Francisco 49ers celebrating their 80th anniversary, Sactown Sports is kicking off a countdown of the 80 greatest moments in the franchise’s illustrious history in reverse order called “Faithful Flashbacks.”

From Super Bowl-winning plays to overperforming teams that had minimal expectations, there’s plenty to choose from the team with five titles under its belt.

The voting was conducted by a handful of the Sactown Sports’ staffers before results were compiled into a full list that will count down to the 49ers’ 2026 NFL regular season debut against the Rams in Melbourne, Australia, on September 10th.

Faithful Flashbacks -- San Francisco 49ers 80 Best Moments

Coming in at No. 50 on our ‘Faithful Flashbacks’ countdown of the 80 best moments in franchise history is Terrell Owens’ infamous celebration on the Cowboys’ star.

By 2000, the rivalry between the 49ers and Dallas Cowboys was no longer at the exact peak it had reached earlier in the decade, but there was still plenty of history between the two franchises. San Francisco and Dallas had spent years battling for NFC supremacy, and anything involving those uniforms still carried extra weight.

Owens made sure this meeting would be remembered.

During the 49ers’ eventual win in Dallas, Owens scored a touchdown and ran to midfield, where he posed on the Cowboys’ star logo at Texas Stadium. It was immediately controversial and still gets played to this day.

For 49ers fans, it was T.O. being T.O. For Dallas, it was a direct shot at one of the NFL’s most recognizable symbols. The moment could have ended there and still lived on as one of Owens’ most famous celebrations. But after scoring again, he went back to the star a second time.

That was when Cowboys safety George Teague had seen enough. Teague ran over and knocked Owens off the logo, sparking an on-field confrontation that turned the celebration into one of the defining NFL images of that era.

Owens was later suspended one game by 49ers head coach Steve Mariucci, while Teague was ejected for his response. The whole scene became part of Owens’ larger reputation as one of the most talented and polarizing players of his generation.

Upcoming San Francisco 49ers Schedule

Late July 2026 – NFL Training Camps open
Thursday, September 10th – vs. Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia (Season Opener) – 5:35 pm PT
Sunday, September 20th – vs. Miami Dolphins – 1:25 pm PT
Sunday, September 27th – vs. Arizona Cardinals – 1:05 pm PT
Sunday, October 4th – vs. Denver Broncos – 1:25 pm PT