A summary of Owens’s family experience with dementia, how memories form, signs that forgetfulness may be more than normal aging, and three evidence-backed habits a neurologist recommends to support long-term cognitive health.
Terrell Owens has personal experience with dementia in his family: his grandmother was diagnosed in 1996 and his father died recently at 83 after living with dementia.
A neurologist recommends three concrete actions to support memory: aerobic exercise, sufficient sleep, and controlling blood pressure.
If everyday forgetfulness is frequent, impacts daily life, or is noticed by others, start by talking with your primary care doctor for possible cognitive testing.
Terrell Owens, NFL Hall of Famer and Alzheimer's research advocate, discussed how dementia has affected his family and what he and a neurologist say people can do about memory decline. Owens's grandmother received a dementia diagnosis the year he was drafted (1996). His father, who also had dementia, died recently at 83.
A cognitive and behavioral neurologist explains memory as a chemical process: connections between brain cells (neurons) get stronger to form a memory. Attention and emotional context matter. Experiences tied to strong feelings—like a first date or a meaningful family moment—create a stronger chemical signal and are easier to recall later.
The neurologist uses an office filing analogy: attention prepares a file (encoding), the file cabinet is storage, and attention is needed again to retrieve the file. That framing shows where breakdowns can occur—during encoding, storage, or retrieval—which helps explain why some lapses are ordinary and when they could indicate something more serious.
What Owens remembers and how he trains memory
Three evidence-based actions to support memory
1) Aerobic exercise: Get the heart pumping. Cardiovascular fitness supports brain health and reduces risk factors linked to cognitive decline.
2) Good sleep: Sleep helps restore the brain and consolidate memories. Poor sleep undermines both short-term recall and long-term memory processes.
3) Control blood pressure: Vascular health affects the brain. Keeping blood pressure in a healthy range lowers risk for future cognitive problems.
Owens continues public advocacy for Alzheimer's awareness and research. He wears the symbolic color purple and uses his platform to educate people about the disease, drawing on his family's experience.
Owens's account is a personal example of how dementia can touch a family across generations. The neurologist's guidance points to three practical, measurable habits that reduce risk and support memory, plus clear next steps for anyone noticing concerning changes.
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