Athletes like Terrell Owens seriously believe they can compete in another sport. It's an ego thing in the locker room. But most are realistic enough to know it's tough enough to be a star in their own sport, let alone another one.

In high school, I was a three-sport athlete and was recruited for all three -- football, basketball and baseball. In fact, Notre Dame, Virginia, Michigan State and UCLA recruited me for basketball. When I went to USC, I was an arrogant young kid who believed I could have started in the three sports.

Even when I was 25 and playing in the NFL, I thought I could have played physical with anyone in basketball and could have pitched 90 mph in baseball. But I had enough trouble dealing with football alone.

During my sophomore year at USC, I intended to play all three. Because I blew out my knee in Week 7 of the football season, I never got the chance to play basketball or baseball for the Trojans. I had to rehabilitate my knee through the following spring practice. Then when I was a junior, I thought, "What am I going to do for a living?" From that point on, I focused only on football.

Although I have regrets that I didn't at least try another sport in college other than football, the time investment was too demanding. I don't know why anyone would try it now, especially someone as gifted as Owens.

Owens, Tony Gonzalez and Randy Moss are all good basketball players. But they have already proven their athleticism on the football field. We all wish we had Owens' athletic skills. He is arguably the NFL's best receiver.

In basketball, he may be good enough to make an NBA roster. But would he go to the NBA thinking he's going to be a star? I assure you Owens would be a team's 12th man at best. There would be six other players sitting on the bench who would run circles around him because basketball is what they do for a living.

Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders were rare athletes in their ability to play both baseball and football. But Owens would take a pounding playing both football and basketball. Would he be a point guard? Would he be a two-guard and have to cover Allen Iverson? As good as Owens is, the NBA players would run him ragged.

Owens is a wonderful athlete, but he has to put his ego aside. He has nothing to prove -- to the 49ers or anyone else. Owens is a football player; he is not 19 years old anymore.

Former NFL quarterback Sean Salisbury is a football analyst for ESPN.