Brig Owens obit

Cincinnati Bearcats HOF football player Brigman 'Brig' Owens dies at 79

 

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Former University of Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Brigman "Brig" Owens, who was inducted into the UC Athletics Hall of Fame in 1979, died Tuesday. He was 79.

Owens, a team captain for the Bearcats from 1963-64, led Cincinnati to back-to-back Missouri Valley Conference championships before being selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1965 NFL Draft.

Owens played 13 NFL seasons, most notably for the Washington Redskins, earning a spot on the team's "Ring of Fame."

“Our condolences go out to the Owens family for their loss,” Cincinnati Director of Athletics John Cunningham said. “Brig was a tremendous student-athlete at the University of Cincinnati, and also a great player for Washington, but what’s most impressive is the impact he had off the field and his commitment to helping young people. We were honored he stayed engaged with our university over the years. Brig’s life as a student-athlete, entrepreneur and community leader can serve as an inspiration for us all.”

Owens threw for 1,764 yards and 13 touchdowns and rushed for 1,214 yards and 12 more scores during his two-year stint at Cincinnati. The Linden, Texas, native started his collegiate career at Fullerton College, a community college in Fullerton, California.

Owens switched to safety for the Dallas Cowboys and then was traded to Washington where he was a defensive captain on the 1972 squad that reached Super Bowl VII. Owens' Washington squad lost to the undefeated Miami Dolphins.

Owens ranks second all-time in Washington franchise history with 36 interceptions, trailing only Darrell Green's 54. Owens' 686 interception return yards are the most in team history.

Owens enrolled in law school toward the end of his playing career and helped lead the NFL Players Association, first as a player representative and later as its assistant executive director.

Owens received an honorary doctoral degree from Cincinnati in 2008.

Owens was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round (89th overall) of the 1965 NFL Draft and converted to safety. He spent most of the year on the team's taxi squad. On August 30, 1966, he was traded, along with Jake Kupp and Mitch Johnson, to the Washington Redskins for Jim Steffen and a fifth-round draft choice (#119-Willie Parker).

In 1970, he was named the starter at strong safety. He remained with the Redskins until he retired after the 1977 season. He played a significant role in leading the 1972 squad to Super Bowl VII and had a good performance in the game, recording a key interception from Miami Dolphins quarterback Bob Griese in the end zone during the second half.

One of his more memorable performances occurred on a 1966 regular season game against the New York Giants, where he scored two defensive touchdowns: a 62-yard interception return and a 62-yard fumble return. Washington ended up winning the game 72–41. To this day it is the highest scoring game in NFL history.

Owens holds the record for most interception return yards in Redskins history (686) and is second all-time for the Redskins in career interceptions (36). Three of his interceptions were returned for touchdowns. He also recovered ten fumbles, returning them for 143 yards and two touchdowns.