The former NFL All-Pro receiver, who has said he was not attending the induction ceremony in Canton, Ohio, released a statement on Tuesday saying he would give his acceptance speech at his alma mater.

”I have decided to give my Hall of Fame speech at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in McKenzie Arena on Saturday, August 4,” Owens posted on Twitter. ”The event, which is free and open to the public, starts at 3:17 p.m.”

Owens added that he is ”proud to be a Moc, and I’m honored to be able to share this experience with my family, friends, teammates and fans at the place that provided me an opportunity beyond high school and where I truly began to find myself as an athlete.”

The 44-year-old Owens said he is looking forward to the event, and ”Getcha popcorn ready.”

Owens was a three-sport athlete at Chattanooga, where he played football from 1992-95. He also played basketball and ran track for the Mocs. Owens said he ”realized just how much I want to celebrate what will inevitably be the best weekend of my life at a place that means so much to me.”

He was voted into the hall in February after being denied in his first two years of eligibility. His announcement last month that he was skipping the Aug. 4 induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame is unprecedented by an enshrinee.

In a statement released last month by his publicist, Owens said: ”While I am incredibly appreciative of this opportunity, I have made the decision to publicly decline my invitation to attend the induction ceremony in Canton.

”After visiting Canton earlier this year, I came to the realization that I wish to celebrate what will be one of the most memorable days of my life, elsewhere,” Owens added. ”At a later date, I will announce where and when I will celebrate my induction.”

Chattanooga athletic director Mark Wharton said Tuesday that Owens first spoke with school officials ”several months ago” about the possibility of having some type of event in Chattanooga. At the time, Owens hadn’t yet indicated he was skipping the Canton induction ceremony.

Wharton said Owens spoke with them again ”two to three weeks ago” about the possibility of giving his induction speech on campus and that officials were ”ecstatic” about the idea.

”Obviously we supported him going to Canton,” Wharton said. ”At the time, there hadn’t been any living Hall of Fame members who did not go to Canton, so our assumption was that he was (going to Canton). But in multiple conversations with him and his team, he felt most comfortable doing it in a place that molded him into the player and person he is today.”

Wharton said the specifics of the Aug. 4 ceremony haven’t been finalized, but he expects a weekend full of events around town honoring Owens.

Owens entered the league as a third-round pick by San Francisco in 1996 and developed into a star known for some memorable playoff appearances, including his winning 25-yard TD catch to beat Green Bay in 1999; his 177 yards in a comeback win against the Giants in 2003; and his nine catches for 122 yards in the 2004 Super Bowl against New England just seven weeks after breaking his leg.

He ranks second to Jerry Rice with 15,934 yards receiving and is third on the all-time touchdowns receiving list with 153.

Owens heavily criticized the voting process when he failed to be elected in 2016 and 2017. Among the reasons he fell short were his being considered a divisive teammate and negative presence in the locker room.

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”Having a lot of money it’s good but at the same time you have to be smart with it,” Owens says. ”You have to really find the right people to help you manage that money going down the road.”

Sports Illustrated once estimated that 78 percent of NFL players end up broke or under financial stress after they retire. In an interview with NerdWallet, Owens and his friend Eric Dickerson, the Hall of Fame running back most famous for his time with the Los Angeles Rams, talked about their experiences and what young athletes should know about building a solid financial future.

Some of the challenges players face are unique; not many of us have to grapple with multimillion-dollar signing bonuses. But the destructive financial behaviors that many players demonstrate are also common outside professional sports. Here are some of the ways people sabotage their finances.

THEY ENABLE INSTEAD OF HELP

If you have some money, you may have family or friends who ask for loans, handouts or ”investments” in their business schemes. Imagine what happens when you have big money.

”Uncles ask for money, aunts, grandmothers, friends, all of the sudden they think it’s a free-for-all,” Dickerson says.

People demanding money often don’t know, or care, what the players’ other financial obligations are, they say. Players should learn to say no, both out of self-preservation and because unearned money breeds dependency, Dickerson says.

-The takeaway: Make sure you can afford to help others before you do. Gifts or loans shouldn’t come at the expense of your own obligations, including saving for retirement. Also, be wary of giving money to people who chronically overspend or who aren’t taking steps to support themselves.You may want to help, but you could be making things worse .

THEY TRUST THE WRONG PEOPLE

Some athletes get taken by fraudsters such as Robert Allen Stanford, who is serving a 110-year sentence for a $7 billion Ponzi scheme that snared several pro baseball players, or embezzlers like Brian Ourand, who admitted stealing from four athletes, including heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson. Others get fleeced by advisers who are incompetent or enrich themselves at the players’ expense.

Too often, people turn over the keys of their financial lives to others and stop paying attention. Owens wishes he had learned about finances even though he was busy setting NFL records with the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.

”That was one of the biggest mistakes that I did is trusting (advisors) to manage my financial portfolio without keeping a close eye on it,” Owens says.

-The takeaway: Learn about money and pick a good financial adviser. At a minimum, advisers should have a significant credential such as a certified financial planner, certified public accountant or certified financial analyst. They also need to promise to be a fiduciary, which means they put your interests ahead of their own, and they should pass a background check .

THEY SPEND TOO MUCH

Ask anyone who was unprepared for a big windfall – a lottery win, a lawsuit settlement, an inheritance – and they’ll likely tell you the money disappeared faster than expected. Or just ask a typical U.S. worker, who may earn $1 million over a lifetime but fail to save enough for a comfortable retirement.

Athletes can be so dazzled by the money coming that they don’t consider the day when it will stop, Dickerson says. Also consider that what an NFL player is promised in a contract is often far more than he actually earns, Dickerson says, as careers may be shortened by injuries or getting cut from a team.

”Football is a sport that you can play really for three to four years if you’re an average player. If you’re a great player, you may have a 10- or 12-year career, but that’s very rare,” Dickerson says.

-The takeaway: None of us is guaranteed a long career or ever-climbing paychecks. Living below our means during good times is the best way to survive when times are bad. Putting aside money for retirement and emergencies should be top priorities.

——-

This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet .

Liz Weston is a columnist at NerdWallet, a certified financial planner and author of ”Your Credit Score.” Email: lweston(at)nerdwallet.com. Twitter: (at)lizweston.

RELATED LINKS:

NerdWallet: Pro Tips on Making the Best Financial Moves – https://nerd.me/athlete-finances

Sports Illustrated: How (and why) athletes go broke

https://www.si.com/vault/2009/03/23/105789480/how-and-why-athletes-go-broke#

Broker Check by FINRA – https://brokercheck.finra.org/

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After examining information submitted by police, district attorney George Gascon said his office determined that no charges would be filed “at this time.”

“The San Francisco Police Department — Special Victims Unit completed and submitted a thorough investigation of the allegations against Michael Crabtree,” Gascon said.

Crabtree’s attorney, Joshua Bentley, didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment.

San Francisco police said Crabtree was never detained or arrested in the matter, and that he cooperated fully with their investigation.

The 49ers are preparing to meet the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl on Feb. 3 in New Orleans.

49ers general manager Trent Baalke said the team was pleased that the district attorney decided to not file charges after reviewing the matter.

“Michael and the team can now put this behind us and move forward,” Baalke said in a statement.

During the regular season, Crabtree became the first San Francisco wide receiver with more than 1,000 yards in a season since Terrell Owens in 2003.

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