Artie Owens
No. 85, 24, 49 | |||||||||||
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Position: | Running back Wide receiver | ||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||
Born: | Montgomery, Alabama, U.S. | January 14, 1953||||||||||
Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||
Weight: | 176 lb (80 kg) | ||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||
High school: | Stroudsburg | ||||||||||
College: | West Virginia | ||||||||||
NFL draft: | 1976 / Round: 4 / Pick: 115 | ||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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Player stats at PFR |
Arthur Gene Owens (born January 14, 1953) was an
High school career
Artie Owens moved from
College career
Football
Artie Owens arrived at West Virginia in 1972. Owens saw limited time as a freshman, only rushing for 72 yards and one touchdown. He also had 369 return yards, along with an 85-yard kick return.
As a sophomore in 1973, Owens was the projected
In his junior season of 1974, Owens went injury-free as he finally started through a whole season. His stats showed as well, as he rushed for a career-high 1,130 yards and 7 touchdowns, including an 85-yard run. He also had 301 kick returns yards, including a 73-yard return.
In his final season as a Mountaineer, 1975, Owens rushed for 1,055 yards and 5 touchdowns, with a 6.6 yards per carry average. Owens had a career-low 213 kick return yards, but a career-high 125 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.
Owens rushed for a then-school record 2,648 yards (now fourth on the career list), and set a record for career all-purpose rushing yardage with 3,971 yards (now third on the career list). Owens 6.4 career average for yards per carry is one of the best averages in school history and his 13 career 100-yard rushing games was a school record as well. After playing four seasons, Owens' 95-yard kick return for a touchdown as a junior was third-longest in school history. He received his degree at WVU in 2004.
Track
As a freshman, Owens tied a 41-year-old WVU record for the 100 yard dash by clocking a 9.6. He later bettered that mark with a 9.5, a record he shares with fellow two-sport star Harry Blake. Owens and Blake also teamed to set Mountaineer records in the 440- and 880-yard relays, and three times won the prestigious Penn Relays. [1]
Professional career
San Diego Chargers
Artie Owens was selected in the fourth round of the
. Owens played with the Chargers for four seasons.He started his pro career out in 1976, playing in 14 games. Although seeing some playing time, Owens only recorded 54 yards on three catches, along with one touchdown. In 1977, Owens saw no time at receiver, but did have one rush for three yards.
After San Diego
Following his season in 1979, Owens was picked up by the
USFL
Three years after retiring from the NFL, Owens returned to professional football in
Personal life
Owens moved back to Stroudsburg, where he instructed an alternative school for the mentally handicapped. He also assumed coaching roles at Stroudsburg High School, leading the school's 1984 team to an undefeated season.
Owens attempted construction work in 1986, and after he finished it in 1987, he returned to his mental health profession. He currently works preparing mentally handicapped adults for their future lives. [2]