Terrell Owens risks jail as he can't pay monthly child support after blowing $80MILLION he earned in NFL

By Daily Mail Reporter
Updated: 17:59 EST, 5 March 2012

He caught a ton of footballs during his career, but troubled ex-NFL star Terrell Owens is catching nothing but heat - and may wind up in jail.

His latest off-the-field controversy comes as an Atlanta mother claims he owes her $20,000 in child support for one of his children.

Owens, 38, has never been married, but has four kids with four different women, and each of them has taken him to court at one point.

Legal trouble: Terrell Owens could wind up doing time if he fails to come up with $40,000 in child support payments

Legal trouble: Terrell Owens could wind up doing time if he fails to come up with $40,000 in child support payments

The latest is Melanie Paige Smith, who claims that child support for her daughter with Owens was not paid between December and February.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that a lawyer for Ms Smith has filed a contempt of court petition that requests a fine or time behind bars if the payments are not made.

The lawyer, Randall Kessler, told the paper: 'We remain hopeful that he will choose to resume supporting his daughter, but neither we nor our client have had any indication from him since last year as to when and if he will ever provide another penny in support'.

Owens complained about child support distresses in a GQ magazine interview last month, where he said he never suspected the mothers of his children 'were the types to do what they done in the past year'.

Critical: Owens complained about child support in an interview last month, where he said he never suspected what the mothers of his children have done to him

Critical: Owens complained about child support in an interview last month, where he said he never suspected what the mothers of his children have done to him

He also blamed those that he thought were friends for helping to drain him of the estimated $80million he made as a player.

In the midst of the NFL lockout last summer, Owens reportedly requested that the $5,000 monthly child support payments be lowered to $2,500, but the request was rejected.

While football returned, Owens did not - after the Cincinnati Bengals failed to have him return for a second season. 

Owens, popularly known as T.O., is perhaps regarded more for his animated stunts on and off the field than any professional statistics.

He is currently taking passes with the Allen Wranglers of Texas, an Indoor Football League team, but he has not ruled out a comeback.

He played 15 seasons in the NFL with five different teams.

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