T.O. says he experienced 'systemic racism' with 49ers

Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens said Saturday that he was subject to "systemic racism" during his time with the San Francisco 49ers.

Owens suited up for the 49ers from 1996 to 2003 but pointed specifically to the six seasons he spent playing under head coach Steve Mariucci, who is now an NFL Network analyst.

The 46-year-old made the claim after saying he believes he was "blackballed" from the league following his final NFL season with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2010.

"I could've still continued to play but because I was outspoken, because of who I was, I wasn't allowed the opportunity," Owens told TMZ Sports. "Because I was outspoken. Because of who I was and because of some of the coaches that said things behind closed doors and got in the ears of these owners, that's why I wasn't able to really continue on with my career.

"To me, that was systemic racism. I experienced it when I was in San Francisco under coach Mariucci. I experienced it. Trust me, I experienced it."

Owens racked up 72 catches for 983 yards and nine touchdowns in 2010 in 14 games but wasn't able to land another contract despite consistently saying he wanted to continue his career. The wideout told TMZ that he believes he could still play now.

While Owens opted not to go into specifics about his issues in San Francisco, he said his reputation suffered as a result of the prejudice.

"There's a lot of media that portray me a certain way to where now even people think I'm this bad person," Owens said. "That I'm a character, I'm selfish, all these things. But, at the end of the day, I knew who I was and I just kept moving forward."