Hall of Fame
Position: Running Back
Years: 1967-1969
Place of Birth: Gore, OK
Date of Birth: Dec 09, 1947
Jersey Number: 36
Height: 6-2
Weight: 215
High School: Miami, OK (Miami HS)
In three years at Oklahoma, 1967-1969, Steve Owens scored 56 touchdowns. This was an NCAA record for a three-year player. He had a string of 17 straight 100-yard games; at the time, it was an NCAA record. In his junior year he scored five touchdowns in a game against Nebraska. In 1969, he led the nation in rushing (1,523 yards) and scoring (138 points). He made 12 touchdowns as a sophomore, 21 as a junior, 23 as a senior. He was a workhorse and carried the ball 55 times in 1969 against Oklahoma State. (He gained 266 yards.) In 1969 he was unanimous All-America and winner of the Heisman Trophy. Owens played seven years with the Detroit Lions; a knee injury ended his career. After his football days, he founded Steve Owens Insurance in Norman, Oklahoma. He broadcast Oklahoma games on a 300-station radio network. He became very active in civic work and served as spokesman for the Ronald McDonald House. Owens is a native of Miami, Oklahoma; a street is named for him there.
