The Redskins Blog

Owens’ Greatness Extended Past Gridiron

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Over the next few weeks we will be looking back on some Redskins greats for their heroics on the field as well as off of it. Today, Redskins.com intern Chris DeLisi explores the amazing story of Brig Owens.

For anyone that watched the Redskins during the late 1960’s and 1970’s the name Brig Owens should ring a bell. Well before the days of “shutdown” being a commonly used football term for defensive backs who harassed aerial attacks, Owens led the team in interceptions on three different occasions and when paired with fellow safety Ken Houston in the latter stages of his career, teams didn’t dare take a stab at the twosome.

A graduate of the University of Cincinnati, Owens was drafted as a strong safety by the Dallas Cowboys in 1965. Immediately following his rookie season, though, he was traded to the Redskins; a move that he says was easily the best moment of his life.

Owens loved the Redskins, and was one of the best defensive backs to ever wear burgundy and gold, finishing with 36 interceptions in his career, second all-time in Redskins’ history and is currently a member of the prestigious 80 Greatest Redskins.

Towards the end of his playing career, though, he began weighing his options of possible careers to pursue and ultimately decided on law school.

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Houston Remembers MNF Tackle Fondly

The Washington Redskins are preparing to kick off their 81st campaign on the heels of one of the most exciting finishes in franchise history.

The 2012 NFC East Champs were led by the marvelous play of quarterback Robert Griffin III and running back Alfred Morris. The tandem rumbled over opposing defenses en route to a league-high 2,709 yards on the ground. The offensive charge led the team back to postseason play for the first time since 2007.

Back in the 1970′s, the Redskins were a consistent Lombardi Trophy threat because of clutch plays made on the defensive side of the pigskin.

One play at RFK Stadium on a Monday night primetime matchup against the Dallas Cowboys symbolizes just how great that unit was during the decade.

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Who Is The All-Time Best Redskins Safety?

http://p.castfire.com/UwIWI/video/629551/redskins_2011-06-09-102951.895.m4v

In an effort to fill this eerily quiet offseason, the folks over at Hogs Haven have been doing polls on the all-time greatest Redskins players at various positions. Most of these have gone as you’d expect, and haven’t really inspired me to weigh in either way. But today, the question is about the safety position, and I’m finding the answer a little bit … surprising.

Maybe “surprising” isn’t the right word, because I completely understand WHY the late Sean Taylor is leading this poll. I don’t have any details on Hogs Haven’s demographic reach, but I’m guessing their readership includes a lot more folks from the age bracket that remembers Sean Taylor than the bracket that remembers Kenny Houston.

It’s also true that Taylor’s abilities can’t be argued. He was an atheltic marvel, capable of insane, game-changing plays. Had he lived, he might very well have been the obvious, no-brainer answer to this question.

And it isn’t just fans who believe that Taylor is the best ever. When I somewhat skeptically posted about the poll on Twitter, former Redskins safety and current National Football Post writer Matt Bowen weighed in. My question: Sean Taylor is winning this poll in a runaway. Should he be?

Bowen’s blunt answer: Yes.

He elaborated a bit after a follow-up question:

Sean Taylor was great–and would have been the best we have seen in a long time. Cover, hit + make plays RT @redskinsblog Over K. Houston?—
Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) June 09, 2011

I can’t argue with anything there, and Bowen obviously has a MUCH more informed perspective on this … but I think, when you’re voting for the best of all time, that “would have been” is a crucial note.

Because we’ll never know what Taylor “would have been,” and it’s not realistic to judge his “would have been” against what Ken Houston was.

And what Ken Houston actually was was … well, it was an awful lot like what we all believe Taylor would have been. Check out this excerpt from the summary on Houston’s Hall Of Fame page: Read more »