Ike Owens | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
January 8, 1920 Columbus, Georgia |
| Died | June 14, 1980 (aged 60) |
Isiah Hudson "Ike" Owens (January 8, 1920 – June 14, 1980) was an American football player.
Owens was born in Columbus, Georgia, in 1920.[1] He moved to Gary, Indiana, as a boy and attended Theodore Roosevelt High School in that city.[1][2] Owens enrolled at the University of Illinois in 1940, but his college career was interrupted by four years of service in the Air Corps during World War II.[2]
After the war, Owens returned to the University of Illinois where he became one of the school's first African-American football stars.[3] He played for the Illinois Fighting Illini football team in 1941, 1946, and 1947. Illinois coach Ray Eliot called him one of "the greatest ends in Illinois football history."[2] He received numerous honors during his playing career at Illinois, including the following:
- In 1946, he was selected by the United Press (UP) as a first-team player on the 1946 All-Big Nine Conference football team.[4]
- He was selected by his teammates as the most valuable player on the 1947 Illinois Fighting Illini football team.[3]
- He was selected by the Associated Press (AP), UP, and International News Service (INS) as a first-team end on the 1947 All-Big Nine Conference football team.[5][6][7]
- Owens also received second-team honors from the AP, INS, and Newspaper Enterprise Association on the 1947 College Football All-America Team.[8][9][10]
Owens graduated from Illinois in June 1948 as an honor student with a degree in art and design.[2][11]
In June 1948, Owens signed to play for the Chicago Rockets of the All-America Football Conference.[11] Owens appeared in eight games as a defensive end for the Rockets in 1948.[1] He was released in late October 1948.[12] He died in June 1980 at the age of 60.[13]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Ike Owens". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/O/OwenIk20.htm. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Tab Ike Owens Candidate for All-American". October 23, 1947. p. 14. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5299658/tab_ike_owens_candidate_for_allamerican/.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Ike Owens: "Most Valuable Player"". November 26, 1947. p. 2B. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5299588/ike_owens_most_valuable_player/.
- ↑ "Michigan Gets Three Places On UP Team". November 30, 1946. p. 13. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19461130&id=C8MwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YGoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2707,5888639.
- ↑ "Michigan Lands Four Players on All-Big Nine". November 24, 1947. p. 6. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=110&dat=19471124&id=3WVOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2TsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6660,6313804.
- ↑ "'M' Awarded Five Positions on UP Team". November 26, 1947. p. 3. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2706&dat=19471121&id=mgNgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oR4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=1103,3168307.
- ↑ Charles Einstein. "Wilson of Wisconsin On INS All-Big Nine Team". https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19471123&id=zk1QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Dg0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6028,999333.
- ↑ "Midwest Places Three Backs On AP All-American Squad: Lujack, Evans and Chappuis On First Team". Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune. 1947-12-03.
- ↑ Lawton Carver (1947-12-04). "Johnny Lujack Unanimous INS All-American Grid Selection". The Daily Courier. Connellsville, PA.
- ↑ Harry Grayson (November 1947). "Lujack Is Only Unanimous Choice For NEA's 1947 All-America". Middlesboro, Ky., Daily News.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "'Ike' Owens, Illini Star, Signs With Chicago Rockets". June 17, 1948. p. 24. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5299779/ike_owens_illini_star_signs_with/.
- ↑ "Ike Owens Among Four Dropped By Rockets". October 27, 1948. p. 13. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5299811/ike_owens_among_four_dropped_by_rockets/.
- ↑ "Ike Owens". Pro Football Archives. http://www.profootballarchives.com/playero/owen02200.html. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
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