A used furniture store owner in Georgia recently purchased a storage locker belonging to former NFL star Terrell Owens -- and it came complete with several pieces of autographed memorabilia.
Jim Rice, the owner of Jan鈥檚 Used Furniture in Griffin, Ga., told 麻豆影视 Channel he outbid 20-30 people for the unit at a local storage auction by placing a bid of just more than US$4,000.
The locker came complete with a life-sized bust of the superstar wide receiver, as well as custom shoes, custom clothing, signed football helmets and signed jerseys.
鈥淵ou could see Terrell鈥檚 bust right there and some of his photographs, so there was a pretty good idea of whose it was,鈥� he said.
When bills for storage lockers in some American states go unpaid, companies typically try to recoup the rental fees by selling the contents in a live auction.
Owens, who sits third all-time with 153 receiving touchdowns in the NFL, made an estimated $80 million on the field, that he had lost nearly all of it in part due to several risky investments.
He and had been trying to contact the storage company, to no avail.
Rice said Owens should鈥檝e known he had an overdue bill for the locker as the law in Georgia requires storage companies to send a letter to the owner of a unit before putting it up for auction. Rice added he鈥檚 been told of Owens鈥� desire to get some of the items back and is willing to work with the former NFL star.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to talk with his lawyer tomorrow,鈥� he said.
Other famous lockers
Rice has made a career out of purchasing the lockers of celebrities and star athletes. In the past, he鈥檚 bought units belonging to former boxer Evander Holyfield, former NBA player Antoine Walker, and several members of the Atlanta Falcons.
鈥淎tlanta鈥檚 a really great place to buy celebrities鈥� units,鈥� he said.
One of the more unusual locker purchases came from R&B artist R. Kelly, who has been accused of criminal sexual abuse in Chicago. Rice bought the singer鈥檚 storage locker a few months ago and it came with a piano, furniture and some large doors.
鈥淭hey actually looked like doors from a dungeon, but they were castle doors,鈥� Rice said.
Another oddity came out from the locker of Atlanta-based songwriter Sean Garret, who left more than 1,400 pairs of shoes in his unit.
