R. C. Owens

NFL player


DateOfBirth=birth date and age|1934|11|12
Birthplace=Shreveport, LA, United States
DateOfDeath=
Position=Wide receiver
College=College of Idaho
DraftedYear=1956
DraftedRound=14 / Pick 160
Stats=Y
DatabaseFootball=OWENSRC01
PFR=OwenR.00
years=1957-1961
1962-1963
1964
teams=San Francisco 49ers
Baltimore Colts
New York Giants
ProBowls=
HOF=

Raleigh C. Owens (born November 12, 1934 in Shreveport, Louisiana) is a former professional American football wide receiver from 1957 through 1964. Owens graduated from high school in Santa Monica, California and attended the College of Idaho (where his roommate was Elgin Baylor) and played amateur basketball with the Seattle-based Buchan Bakers the year after their national championship.ref|1

Owens then joined the NFL; he had his best years playing for the San Francisco 49ers where he was noted for his "alley oop" receptions of quarterback Y.A. Tittle's passes. This play was essentially a jump ball were Tittle would throw the ball high in the air in the end zone like a jump ball and Owens would go up and get it. Owens was known for his jumping ability and once blocked a field goal by jumping up at the cross bar and knocking it down. ref|2 Owens' best year by far was 1961 when he gained over 1000 yards receiving.

Notes

# [http://www.buchanbakers.com/gpage.html History of the Buchan Bakers]
# [http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0504a&L=ads-l&D=1&P=31110 Discussion of the term "alley oop" with citations of references to Owens]

External links

* [http://members.aol.com/edijkelly/49ers/49er3.html Owens in action (photograph)]