Pro-File of Terry Owens

Terry’s picks for best DE’s in the league as of 1969/time of this article (his second season starting) included some of the usual suspects: Aaron Brown, Rich Jackson, as well teammate Steve DeLong who he practiced against. Those who are not mentioned, whether ones he faced RDE or on the other side LDE, interesting.

Owens comment on the Raiders Ben Davidson, who probably got more media mention then any of the other guys at that point: “Davidson huffs & puffs at you. It’s just hollering in the wind.”

Davidson on Owens/TFTAFL interview 1998 – “he was a good offensive tackle. Not a real big guy, but real good movement, good foot work, quick.”

That Davidson (listed 6’8 280) would recall Owens (a listed 6’6 270) as ‘not a real big guy’ I noted. Most everyone else probably did appear smaller; Davidson was arguably the biggest DE in football, Owens 6’8 290 teammate/sometime DE Ron Billingsley (who moreso played DT) aside.

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Flashback articles remind me of other rumors and scuttlebutt of the day, media creations, PR hype etc., which kept fan interest high.

Among them:

* Owens mentions Bronco DE Pete Duranko. I recall a 1968 rumor claiming Pete was possibly going to be traded to the Chiefs for [drumroll]… Len Dawson – hilarious, though Dawson (like the Chiefs) hadn’t had a great ’67 season and reportedly Dawson was contemplating retirement at that point.

* A post 1970 season rumor that the Chiefs were going to trade Buck Buchanan, another sometime DE. As a Chiefs fan, can say Buck’s play like the ’70 team’s same did decline, but he wasn’t going anywhere (though in hindsight, his very best years were 1966-1968.)

* Another rumor about ’69, and the wildest one I remember to this day: a well-known AFL QB was, to use a more modern term, ‘gay’, the name in question would come as a shock, the image projected by the player wouldn’t fit the rumor. One name comes to mind that era, but never heard anything more about it – which is how a lot of rumors die, true or not.

Also heard outrageous claims about that time about how an NFL team (two to be precise) would beat two AFL teams by two or three touchdowns apiece. That too was found to be bogus, to the tune 16-7 and 23-7… long live the AFL.

I have this game program and remember the Terry Owens interview. As an Oakland Raider fan I was always put off by Owens remark about Ben Davidson.

Thanks for posting this article Todd. It’s almost been a year since Terry passed away. I miss him each and every day. He was the most wonderful man. Generous and kind and a great husband.