Owens recounts his first NFL interception by Daniel Cox, AtlantaFalcons.com Contributor

[atljbo]

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Owens recounts his first NFL interception

by Daniel Cox, AtlantaFalcons.com Contributor

Flowery Branch, Ga. -- Chris Owens' rookie year came together in his fifth start last season against Buffalo when he came down with an interception - his first in the NFL - against his childhood idol, Terrell Owens.

After being tested repeatedly in four consecutive starts, the cornerback from San Jose State knew his coverage assignment on the 14-year veteran and future Hall of Famer would draw more passes his way. He spent all week leading up to the Week 16 matchup with the Bills preparing and the early-season words of his coach rang loud in his ears.

"I felt they were coming for me," said Owens recently. "I knew I was a rookie cornerback starting. Coach told me the whole year that once I started they're coming after me, so be ready. The whole time at practice I knew they were going to come after me. I mean, it's T.O. I'm a rookie and he's a 14-year veteran. I knew I had to ante up."

In the second quarter on Atlanta's 47-yard line, the Owenses lined up across from each other.

The younger Owens began his backpedal for five yards before turning to run downfield stride for stride with the 36-year-old receiver when he saw Brian Brohm release the ball.

The first thing the 2009 third-round draft pick noticed was the 6'3" receiver was deceptively fast.

"To be honest with you, I didn't know the old guy still had wheels like that," Owens said. "The guy can still run. He's big, he's fast, he's physical, and he can run."

Owens described a Brohm pass that felt a mile high in the sky and in the middle of trying to stay with the receiver and track the pass he gave himself a pep talk. All his years of playing football in the Los Angeles, California area converged on the moment he began to record his first career NFL interception.

"I said to myself, 'It's coming to me, make a play.'"

He began his leap for the ball at the five-yard line and the vacuum of football focus sucked all the sound out of the moment the two players watched the ball's flight.

"When it was up there, everything blanked out," the cornerback said of the Georgia Dome crowd. "It was just me and him there. Everything was quiet."

The burst of sound was nearly deafening as Owens landed in the end zone with the ball in his hands. His football intelligence kicked in when he considered what to do next. Run or take a knee?

Sensing he was in the end zone he kneeled before standing up and pointing to the heavens, holding onto a ball that would eventually find its way to his mother's house.

And how'd that feel?

Describing the moment, Owens took a deep breath and grinned as he recalled the feelings that accompanied his first NFL interception. His tale winding down, he paused for a few long seconds and considered what else to say.

"It felt like I wanted more, if that makes any sense," he said. "I just wanted to get the next one. To be honest, it was like a dream come true."

More would come the following week in the season finale against Tampa when he brought down his second interception, which he returned 13 yards.

An interception wasn't the only thing to come from his coverage of T.O. in Week 16; it earned him a nickname as well.

"The coincidence is my teammates call me C.O. now."

When Terrell Owens began his career in 1996, Atlanta's Owens was 10 years old. C.O. followed T.O. through all his NFL stops: San Francisco, Philadelphia, Dallas, and finally Buffalo which brought him through Atlanta to allow the Falcons' young cornerback's ambition to collide with its luminary.

In 53 yards and five seconds Chris Owens realized a dream and set his aspirations and expectations even higher.

[metatron360]

that is when i knew owens would start for the remainder of the season. he stood toe to toe with confidense and i'd like to see him at number 2 this year with grimes at nickel.

[atljbo]

"I felt they were coming for me," said Owens recently. "I knew I was a rookie cornerback starting. Coach told me the whole year that once I started they're coming after me, so be ready. The whole time at practice I knew they were going to come after me. I mean, it's T.O. I'm a rookie and he's a 14-year veteran. I knew I had to ante up."

That basically tells me he proved to the coaching staff was prepping Chris Owens to become a starter thruout the season... I guess he showed them something in practice during the season.

[D-Will.OwnsCP3]

I like Chris he is a tough player, that I think might be able to start opposite of Robinson. If not he will be a good back-up or situational player if Grimes takes it.

[BCEagleATLFalcon]

More would come the following week in the season finale against Tampa when he brought down his second interception, which he returned 13 yards.

As wonderful as Snelling was that game, as nice as our two passing touchdowns were, as important as Grimes' endzone INT obviously was ... that Owens INT was, in my eyes, what saved our back-to-back venture that day.

It came at such a crucial moment ... the tide of the game had completely turned in the Bucs' favor. They'd tied it up in the 4th, and then Ryan tossed an ugly INT on the ensuing drive, 10 minutes left in the 4th. Ray J was electric after Ryan's mistake, ready for the go-ahead drive. If the Bucs had marched down (and Freeman looked poised to do so, since he had just completed a very nice drive less than two minutes earlier), it would have been difficult to recover.

Luckily, it's all a moot point. Owens did exactly what we needed him to (Babs' pressure helped immensely, of course), and the rest was history.

Edited June 15, 2010 by BCEaGleATLFaLcOn

[ltstorm2]

At training camp when Chris was signing a ball for me, I told him that Terrell Owens was coming to Atlanta this year and that we were going to see Owens covering Owens. I had my inner Ms. Cleo working that day.

[The Don™]

And jbo with the video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ddLRU4VpfU

[Power I]

Chris Owens epitomizes the Thomas Dimitroff draft pick: not the most athletic and has some faults physically, but a passion and burning desire for the game with the intelligence to be great. The only two that I would say go against this mold are Weatherspoon and Sidbury, but both are highly intelligent guys as well.

[atljbo]

Chris Owens epitomizes the Thomas Dimitroff draft pick: not the most athletic and has some faults physically, but a passion and burning desire for the game with the intelligence to be great. The only two that I would say go against this mold are Weatherspoon and Sidbury, but both are highly intelligent guys as well.

The guy is pretty athletic.

4.4 speed

14 reps of 225lbs

I remember Deion Sanders praising Owens for his fluid hips and great transition out of his back-peddle.

[Power I]

The guy is pretty athletic.

4.4 speed

14 reps of 225lbs

I remember Deion Sanders praising Owens for his fluid hips and great transition out of his back-peddle.

The "fault" I was referring to with Owens is his height. He's listed at 5'9".

[BirdFan33]

Great job owens...really i like the guy but come on, if that ball is thrown right, its a TD no doubt about it...he picked off a very underthrown ball

[The Red Stallions]

Great job owens...really i like the guy but come on, if that ball is thrown right, its a TD no doubt about it...he picked off a very underthrown ball

C.O was in T.O's back pocket that entire time. There was no way, even if it was thrown "right" that it would have been a TD, C.O most likely would have knocked the ball down. The only possible way for that to have been a TD is if TO was over towards the sidelines more and Brohm threw it as a fade type of pass to his back shoulder, but not many QB's can make that pass with that type of coverage.

Yeah it was underthrown but that doesnt mean anything, if he was a step or 2 behind TO thats a TD, but because he stayed with him the entire time it was an INT

[The Red Stallions]

As wonderful as Snelling was that game, as nice as our two passing touchdowns were, as important as Grimes' endzone INT obviously was ... that Owens INT was, in my eyes, what saved our back-to-back venture that day.

It came at such a crucial moment ... the tide of the game had completely turned in the Bucs' favor. They'd tied it up in the 4th, and then Ryan tossed an ugly INT on the ensuing drive, 10 minutes left in the 4th. Ray J was electric after Ryan's mistake, ready for the go-ahead drive. If the Bucs had marched down (and Freeman looked poised to do so, since he had just completed a very nice drive less than two minutes earlier), it would have been difficult to recover.

Luckily, it's all a moot point. Owens did exactly what we needed him to (Babs' pressure helped immensely, of course), and the rest was history.

I like during that game when CO gave up the TD, the Bucs announcer saying "It was Pass Interference the whole way, but there is no flag thrown". I was like, "Dont you think if it was PI there would have been a flag?"

[Rev_Hal]

Daniel Cox is the best journalist covering the Falcons in Atlanta, and I'm a fan of D'Led. Cox thinks like a fan, and his work always takes that approach. Great stuff.

[Dominique is Manufique]

The "fault" I was referring to with Owens is his height. He's listed at 5'9".

this gets old. how many times do people here complain of CB height? you guys think the average CB is 6' or something. 5'9" is not a fault for CB.

[Tax-Falcon]

The "fault" I was referring to with Owens is his height. He's listed at 5'9".

You also said not the most athletic.

[atljbo]

Daniel Cox is the best journalist covering the Falcons in Atlanta, and I'm a fan of D'Led. Cox thinks like a fan, and his work always takes that approach. Great stuff.

I agree

[Power I]

You also said not the most athletic.

Yes, I did. Chris Owens is no where near the "most athletic" at his position. None of our draft picks have been Heyward-Bay type players that teams fall in love with. We value football intelligence much higher than athleticism. It's why Sam Baker was a first round pick and why Matt Ryan went #3 when teams had their doubts about his physical ability.