Leave it to Terrell Owens to choose to become the first person to celebrate being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame somewhere other than at Canton, Ohio.

The receiver who provided so many exhilarating and exasperating moments during one of the NFL’s most prolific careers is about 600 miles away from Canton this weekend.

Hours before the other inductees are honored, Owens will give his own acceptance speech at Chattanooga, where he played college football and basketball and ran track.

Owens announced on Twitter in June that, while “incredibly appreciative,” he wouldn’t attend the induction ceremony. Owens never shared his reasons for staying away. Less than a month later, Owens again used social media to say he’d hold his own induction ceremony in Chattanooga.

“Getcha popcorn ready!” wrote the man who once celebrated a touchdown with popcorn.

Owens said Friday in Chattanooga there’s a “flaw in that system” about how Hall of Famers are selected and he wanted to “make a stand” for future candidates.

Owens, who wasn’t selected to the Hall of Fame until his third year of eligibility, noted how grateful he was to accept this honor “right here where it all began.”

He’s been quite chatty on social media in the weeks leading up to his induction. Owens tweeted that he “wouldn’t have a PRO career if it wasn’t for Chattanooga #THISISFORYOU.” When asked why he’s bypassing the Canton ceremony, Owens tweeted that “I don’t need to be on their stage to do it. I’ll be fine & im sure they will be too.”

Chattanooga remains a place where Owens is loved for what he accomplished well before becoming an NFL star. Owens had 2,320 career yards receiving in college and also played basketball on two NCAA tournament teams before the San Francisco 49ers selected him in the third round of the 1996 draft.

Owens has a busy weekend planned for his return to campus.

He spoke to Chattanooga’s current student-athletes Friday morning and also took 35 area youths on a shopping spree . Athletic Director Mark Wharton said the school will have a private dinner for him Friday night and estimates about 2,000 people will gather at McKenzie Arena for Owens’ induction speech Saturday afternoon.