Gameday Feature: Justin Owens
9/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
This story originally ran in the September 5th football game program against Northern Arizona. Pick up your game program each home game for feature stories on your favorite Lumberjack football players.
MAKING THE MOST OF HIS FRESH START
He is one of the most recognizable Lumberjacks on the field, thanks to his long hair flowing out from underneath his helmet as well as his intensity to play the linebacker position. Although it’s hard to imagine, senior linebacker Justin Owens didn’t always have his trademark look.
“The hair started growing when I started college,” Owens recalls. “Before that, I always had short hair – like we’re talking buzz cut short. I know it’s hard for a lot of people to imagine, but it use to be really short. I just figured I’d try something different while I still had hair.”
His look has become more than just a fashion statement, however. It has marked a fresh start in his football career, one that the California native nearly 1,600 miles from home to the piney woods of East Texas.
“Coming out of high school, and then out of junior college, I was ready for something different,” Owens said. “I was looking for a fresh start. I knew coming here would be something completely different than anything else I’d ever done. I’d stayed at home during junior college, so I was ready to get away and challenge myself.”
Growing up a half hour east of Los Angeles in Brea, Owens had always excelled at football. Starting when he was 10 years, the linebacker position was one that always intrigued Owens. He was a three-time all-district selection at Brea Olinda High School, earning all-state honors as a sophomore.
However, there were no offers waiting following his high school career. Not wanting to give up the game that he loved, Owens enrolled at Fullerton College in Fullerton, California, less than 10 miles from his home.
At Fullerton, Owens continued to earn a reputation as a fearless defender and imposing presence on the field, being named a two-time All-California Community College Athletic Association selection.
Recording nearly 150 tackles during his two years with the Hornets, he helped lead Fullerton to the 2013 CCCAA championship game, earning Defensive MVP honors.
Fully feeling he could play at the Division I level, Owens once again found himself playing the waiting game, seeing which offers would come his way. He received one from Sacramento State, but didn’t feel it was a good fit for him.
He received a second offer from a rival Southland Conference school, but that was quickly followed by a phone call from a school with a brand new defensive coordinator who was looking for players to define his defense.
“Coach (Matt) Williamson called me one day and mentioned they had watched my film and were impressed,” Owens recalls. “They offered me a spot on the team and it was kind of a fulfillment of all that hard work, knowing I was good enough to play Division I football.”
Just a few miles north of where Owens grew up is Interstate-10, the road that he followed for nearly 1,600 miles east through three different states, finally settling in Nacogdoches – a place drastically different than the suburbs of Los Angeles.
“I’m a pretty open-minded guy, and I knew SFA would be pretty different than California,” Owens said. “I didn’t really have any expectations, and overall, I have really enjoyed it because it is so different than where I grew up. I really enjoy the college environment.”
Arriving at SFA just a few days before Summer I last year, it was an accelerated learning curve for Owens who had missed all of the Lumberjacks’ spring workouts. But he adapted quickly, studying the playbook and focusing all his efforts on making the most of his new opportunity.
Those efforts paid off as Owens played in all 13 games for the Lumberjacks in 2014, earning significant playing time among a senior-laden linebacking group including Collin Garrett, Marvin Gray and Nick Bryant.
He quickly emerged as one of the Lumberjacks’ key playmakers, ranking second on the team in tackles with 80 while posting six tackles for loss and a pair of sacks in his SFA debut.
Having the opportunity to play with those veterans was another bonus for Owens as they helped mentor him along and emerge as one of the top defensive players for the Lumberjacks. But even more than that, they helped him focus his perspective.
“The biggest thing they made me realize was that my time was coming to an end and the importance of making every play count,” Owens said. “It really opened my eyes how quickly it was coming upon me, and they kept reminding me that I was the senior now. This year, it’s my turn to be that leader, and I’m excited for the challenge.”
Owens enters the 2015 season as the undisputed leader among the SFA linebacking corps. Sophomore Chance Barney is the only other player at the position that has suited up for the Lumberjacks as he finds himself in charge of a group that includes a pair of transfers (Price Miller and George Stone III) and three true freshmen (Teddy Britton, Spencer Choka and Anthony Daniels), leading by example what it takes to be a successful linebacker.
For defensive coordinator Matt Williamson, the two key components to being a successful linebacker are confidence and a passion to be a playmaker. He has been impressed with Owens’ work ethic this past summer as he has fully embraced the leadership role that has been thrust upon him.
“Justin, in my mind, has really taken it to another level,” Williamson said. “He’s ready to go, he’s focused and I’m really fired up about the way he has been performing. You can’t be a leader until you feel fully confident and his confidence is very, very high, which is what you need and expect at the linebacker position.”
While he has thrived in his new environment, it has been tough at times for him to be so far away from home and the support system that helped mold him into a player.
“It’s been tough for my whole family,” Owens said. “My dad has coached me in baseball since I was little and my mom was one of those that was always in the stands - football games, baseball games, you name it. But it wasn’t just them. It was my grandparents, aunts, uncles, everyone. We’re a pretty tight-knit group. They’re all still in California and so they always go over to my parents’ house to watch every game on the internet or on TV. Even though they aren’t necessarily in the stands, I know they’re still right there supporting me.”
Heading into his final season, Owens is ready to take advantage of his opportunity to suit up for a Division I school. He has set lofty goals for both himself and the team, not wanting to hold anything back in his final go-round.
“I want to be mentioned among the best linebackers in the conference,” Owens said. “As a team, I definitely want a ring. I want to win conference and then make a run at a national championship. It’s not going to be easy, but I think we’ve got the team that can get it done as long as we focus on the little things.”
And just how long does he plan on keeping the long hair?
“Definitely through the season,” Owens said. “It’s worked for me all through college. I’m not about to change it now.”
-SFA-
