Tyler Owens (born May 12, 2001) is an American professional football safety for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns and Texas Tech Red Raiders and signed with the Commanders as an undrafted free agent in 2024.
| No. 40 – Washington Commanders | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Safety | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | May 12, 2001 Plano, Texas, U.S. | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 213 lb (97 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Plano East Senior (Plano) | ||||
| College: |
| ||||
| Undrafted: | 2024 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| |||||
| Roster status: | Active | ||||
| Career NFL statistics as of Week 11, 2024 | |||||
| |||||
Early life
editOwens was born on May 12, 2001, in Plano, Texas. He attended Plano East Senior High School where he played football and ran track.[1] As a senior, he totaled 67 tackles, eight pass breakups and two interceptions while being selected to the All-American Bowl.[1][2] He was also a top athlete on the track team.[3] A top safety recruit, he was ranked by sources as a four- or five-star prospect.[4] He committed to play college football for the Texas Longhorns.[5][6]
College career
editAs a true freshman at Texas in 2019, Owens appeared in 13 games and started one, posting eight tackles.[7] He then totaled two tackles in nine games in 2020, and two tackles in five games in 2021.[1] He entered the NCAA transfer portal after the season and ultimately transferred to the Texas Tech Red Raiders.[8] In his first year at Texas Tech, Owens appeared in 12 games, started two, and had 19 tackles along with two forced fumbles and an interception.[9] He returned to the team in 2023 and had a career-best 37 tackles with two pass breakups.[10] Owens was invited to the East–West Shrine Bowl.[11] At the NFL Combine, he recorded the best vertical jump among safeties and had a 12 feet 2 inches (3.71 m) broad jump, one inch short of the world record.[12]
Professional career
edit| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Vertical jump | Broad jump | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2+3⁄8 in (1.89 m) |
216 lb (98 kg) |
33+3⁄8 in (0.85 m) |
9+1⁄8 in (0.23 m) |
41.0 in (1.04 m) |
12 ft 2 in (3.71 m) | |||||||
| All values from NFL Combine[13][14] | ||||||||||||
Owens signed with the Washington Commanders as an undrafted free agent in 2024.[15][16] Owens, a UDFA, notably made the Commanders' 53 man roster out of training camp.
Personal life
editOwens received media attention for an interview at the 2024 NFL Combine where he said that he does not believe in outer space or other planets and found the Flat Earth theory presented "valid points".[17][18] He attributed his beliefs to the Bible, saying "God created the heavens and Earth. He didn't create Jupiter and Saturn."[19]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Tyler Owens". Texas Longhorns.
- ^ Hall, Brendan C. (November 27, 2018). "4-Star safety Tyler Owens 'shocked, ecstatic and humbled' to receive All-American Bowl jersey". USA Today.
- ^ Richman, Jacob (March 1, 2024). "2024 NFL Combine: Why outspoken Texas Tech DB Tyler Owens' 40-yard dash fell flat". LoneStarLive.com.
- ^ Power, Charles (January 22, 2019). "Texas safety signee Tyler Owens has the potential to be special". 247Sports.
- ^ Raglin, Taylor (October 9, 2018). "With commitment locked up, Owens turns toward East goals, football future". Plano Star Courier.
- ^ Moyle, Nick (September 24, 2018). "4-star safety Tyler Owens commits to Texas". San Antonio Express-News.
- ^ McVeigh, Griffin (July 24, 2020). "Longhorns Profile Snapshot: No. 44 Tyler Owens". USA Today.
- ^ Borba, Kevin (November 24, 2021). "Former Texas DB Tyler Owens to transfer to Texas Tech". USA Today.
- ^ "Tyler Owens". Texas Tech Red Raiders.
- ^ Curtwright, Austin (March 1, 2024). "Tyler Owens broad jump: Texas Tech football DB records second-longest distance at NFL combine". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
- ^ Richman, Jacob (February 20, 2024). "NFL Combine profile: Is Texas Tech DB Tyler Owens among the most exciting athletes in the draft?". LoneStarLive.com.
- ^ Middlehurst-Schwartz, Michael (March 1, 2024). "NFL draft prospect Tyler Owens nearly breaks world broad-jump record, exits workout with injury". USA Today.
- ^ "Tyler Owens Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ "2024 NFL Draft Scout Tyler Owens College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ Richman, Jacob (April 28, 2024). "Texas Tech S Tyler Owens signs with Washington Commanders as undrafted free agent". lonestarlive. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
- ^ Salvatore, Hayley (September 3, 2024). "Now part of the 53-man roster, Tyler Owens still looking to prove himself". Commanders.com. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ Hernandez, Victoria (February 29, 2024). "'I don't believe in space:' Texas Tech DB Tyler Owens makes bold statement at NFL combine". USA Today.
- ^ "Top NFL prospect Tyler Owens doesn't 'believe in space' or 'other planets'". Fox Sports. February 29, 2024.
- ^ Standig, Ben (August 22, 2024). "Commanders' 'athletic freak' Tyler Owens is performing out of this world". The New York Times. Retrieved August 22, 2024.