I'd heard about Terrell Owens being rushed to the hospital last night before I'd gone to bed. At the time, it appeared to be merely a precautionary trip to the ER because of an allergic reaction to the pain medication he was taking for his broken hand. To put it in perspective, Owens was still expected to participate in at least a portion of Wednesday's practice in preparation for a return to the field against Tennessee.

Later, more details about the incident began to surface and the tone of the reports shifted dramatically. I was in the gym this morning when the report was updated to reflect that a groggy Owens admitted to Dallas police that he'd attempted to harm himself. Additionally, alleged recent admissions by Owens of feeling depressed had surfaced. The words appearing on closed-captioning forced a number of us off the treadmills and into a semi-circle in front of the television. The report ended with everyone shaking their heads, uttering phrases like "it's a shame" and returning to their workouts.

A conversation between two of the gentleman started with the topic being that this was merely a publicity stunt to get Owens back on the back page of the newspaper. I was aghast to hear this sentiment echoed on sports talk radio as I drove home.

A publicity stunt?

Terrell Owens has been subject of many scathing articles and comments over the past several seasons in San Francisco and Philadelphia, and much of the time, the negative reaction could be justified. There was no denying that he was a disruptive force in both locker rooms.

We know details of his childhood that help to provide some explanation for his actions, words and self-image problems. I fear that we sometimes forget that professional athletes and public figures are more than that just the person we see in an interview room or between the white lines. They have the same troubles, trials and tribulations as everyone in society with the exception that their words are put out in the media and that their bank accounts are larger. However, to suggest that this potentially fatal overdose was a publicity stunt is irresponsible, irrational and just plain asinine.

I'm not a psychologist, so I can't make an educated guess as to what drove Terrell Owens to his actions on Tuesday night. I can state that from watching and covering Owens for years that he's treated his body as a temple and stood as a prime example of physical fitness. To put the years of training and dedication at risk tells me there's something bigger going on here. Could it be that his reported responses to paramedics were merely a result of the adverse reaction to the medication and that he was unaware of his responses?

We at FOXSports.com will naturally be following this story and updating you as new information unfolds. In the interim, I'm hopeful that we can put our thoughts where they should be, wishing for a quick recovery for Terrell Owens and those around him, and peace for him and all those whose lives have been impacted by suicide, depression and mental illness.