Terrell Owens Joins Arena Football Team

(FOX Sports Southwest) - Wide receiver Terrell Owens said Wednesday that joining an arena football team was not an attempt to get back into the NFL, but made it clear he's ready to return if someone calls.

Owens, 38, was introduced to his new team, the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League, at a press conference before hundreds of cheering fans at the Allen Event Center in Texas.

One of the first things he told them was that he has not sent in the paperwork to officially retire from the NFL.

"I'm not using this as a route to get back into the NFL," Owens said. "I know I can play, that's not even a question that I can play."

Owens did not play last year after suffering a knee injury prior to the season. After the knee healed he staged a public workout to show his readiness, but the phone did not ring.

"You look at the NFC championship, they're [the 49ers] starting receiver corps, one catch for three yards," Owens said. "You look at the AFC championship, the Baltimore Ravens, the past two years they've brought in two guys they thought could get the job done, and it comes down to crucial catches and they didn't make those catches."

Owens also denied that joining an IFL team, where players make $225 a game, is a humbling experience for a player who spent 15 seasons in the NFL.

"I don't see this as anything beneath me," Owens said. "I come from humble beginnings. I know what it takes.

"I don't worry about the critics or anybody else thinking about what I'm doing and why I'm doing it."

Owens said he was given a 50 percent ownership stake in the franchise, so he has a good reason to stick around. However, co-owner Jon Frankel said it is understood that Owens will leave the Wranglers if an NFL team offers him a contract.

Read more: FOX Sports Southwest