Former NFL star Terrell Owens avoided possible arrest Thursday, paying $20,000 in back child support to the mother of his 7-year-old daughter.

The six-time Pro Bowl selection has struggled to keep current on child support payments — totaling $44,600 a month — owed to the mothers of his four children, ages 5 to 12.

The part-time metro Atlanta resident made good Thursday on money owed Melanie Smith, to whom he pays $5,000 a month for his 7-year-old daughter.

Owens was in court but had no comment. He was ordered to appear by Fulton County Superior Court Judge John Goger after failing to show a week ago.

"That was probably the ultimate encouragement," said attorney Randy Kessler, who represents Smith.

Smith said Owens, 38, rarely visits his daughter — "maybe 8, 10 times in her life." He last saw the girl in March backstage at a taping of the Dr. Phil show, in which Owens was confronted by three of the women with whom he has fathered a child.

"If he's not going to be there physically, he needs to be there financially," Kessler told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The out-of-work wide receiver "regrets that he is no longer able to pay child support based upon his previous NFL income," his publicist, Diana Bianchini, said in a statement released earlier this week. "He hopes to be signed to an NFL team in the future."

But that's not a given, considering his age and reputation.

Owens, who played for five NFL teams — never the Falcons — was released in late May by the Allen (Texas) Wranglers of the Indoor Football League after the team's owner said he refused to play in two games and missed a scheduled appearance at a local children's hospital. His six-figure contract and minority ownership stake were terminated, according to ESPN.

On Monday, Owens tweeted a blog post purportedly written by the mother of his youngest child, Atlin, titled: "The Transformation of Terrell Owens":

"I see him learning to abandon the arrogance, checking the ego at the door, and watching what comes out his mouth," wrote the woman, whose website identifies her only as "Samelia" and says she is a professional make-up artist living in Los Angeles. "This man wants to do right, work in a profession he has done so well in for years, and show the world he can be not only a great athlete, but also a parent and a man! It won't be easy and there are huge obstacles in the way but I am confident he will overcome them and rise again."

Kessler said he, too, is optimistic that Owens has seen the light, adding he thinks future payments will be made in a timely manner. The attorney said his client was open to accepting less money from Owens as long as he's not making an NFL salary.

The flamboyant flanker earned roughly $80 million in his playing career but told GQ in an article published in February that now, he's nearly broke. He blamed risky investments, including an Alabama entertainment complex that cost him $2 million.

"I'm in hell," he told the magazine.