It didn’t take Owens long to make an impact for the Cardinals. As a freshman, he became the quarterback and also punted and helped them gain a share of the conference championship. They finished second his sophomore season.

Owens led the conference in punting both seasons.

Moving on, he attended East Texas State University, where he played quarterback and defensive back. He was also the punter, setting a school record for an average that stood for 13 years and for total yardage that was not eclipsed until 1979.

In his first season at ETSU, the Lions won the Lone Star Conference and went on a 19-game winning streak, including at 33-0 win over Tennessee Tech in the Tangerine Bowl. The entire 1952 ETSU team was inducted in the college’s hall of fame in 2002.

Owens, who died Sept. 8, 2004, coached for 23 years, including a one-year stint for the Cardinals in 1955 and on the high school level at Troup, Wills Point, Canton, Fruitvale and Garland. Upon retiring from coaching, he became a Church of Christ minister.

He becomes the second member from the 1949 Cardinals to be inducted into the Cardinal Hall of Fame, joining Carl Andress (2013).