Weber State University Athletics
Weber State mourns the loss of Hall of Fame Wildcat Henry Owens
8/5/2023 4:34:00 PM | Football, Athletics
Owens, an Ogden native, was a member of the Weber State football team from 1965-67 and is a member of the WSU Hall of Fame.
Weber State Athletics mourn the passing of former Wildcat football standout and a member of the WSU Hall of Fame Henry Owens. Owens passed away on Sunday, July 30, 2023, in McKinney, Texas at the age of 77.Â
He was born on November 6, 1945, in Shreveport, Louisiana but grew up in Ogden, Utah and attended Ogden High School.Â
He was a standout member of the Weber State football team from 1965-67 and was one of the elite stars of the early days of Wildcat football at the NCAA level.Â
He was a part of Weber State's first-ever Big Sky Championship team as the 'Cats won the 1965 Big Sky title under head coach Sark Arslanian.Â
Owens finished his career as the fourth leading rusher in school history and as of 2023, he still ranks 13th in school history in career rushing yards. He ran for 1,739 yards and 25 touchdowns in his three seasons with the Wildcats. He had five rushing touchdowns in one game in 1965 against Portland State. He also ran for a career-high 262 yards against Western State, still the sixth-most rushing yards in a game in WSU history. The total also included an 80-yard touchdown run, at the time, the longest rushing play in school history.Â
He also still ranks eighth in school history in career punt return yards with 429 yards and one touchdown. He is also still 10th in all-purpose yards with 3,559 and is 14th in career kickoff return yards. Â
Owens earned first-team All-Big Sky honors in 1965 and was drafted in the 11th round of the 1968 NFL Draft by the New York Jets.Â
He was inducted into the Weber State Hall of Fame in 1991, just the third class in school history.Â
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He was born on November 6, 1945, in Shreveport, Louisiana but grew up in Ogden, Utah and attended Ogden High School.Â
He was a standout member of the Weber State football team from 1965-67 and was one of the elite stars of the early days of Wildcat football at the NCAA level.Â
He was a part of Weber State's first-ever Big Sky Championship team as the 'Cats won the 1965 Big Sky title under head coach Sark Arslanian.Â
Owens finished his career as the fourth leading rusher in school history and as of 2023, he still ranks 13th in school history in career rushing yards. He ran for 1,739 yards and 25 touchdowns in his three seasons with the Wildcats. He had five rushing touchdowns in one game in 1965 against Portland State. He also ran for a career-high 262 yards against Western State, still the sixth-most rushing yards in a game in WSU history. The total also included an 80-yard touchdown run, at the time, the longest rushing play in school history.Â
He also still ranks eighth in school history in career punt return yards with 429 yards and one touchdown. He is also still 10th in all-purpose yards with 3,559 and is 14th in career kickoff return yards. Â
Owens earned first-team All-Big Sky honors in 1965 and was drafted in the 11th round of the 1968 NFL Draft by the New York Jets.Â
He was inducted into the Weber State Hall of Fame in 1991, just the third class in school history.Â
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