36 Days Away From College Football Kickoff

We are 36 Days Away From College Football Kickoff. Happy Football Friday All Y’all. Today, we have Steve Owens and Bennie Blades. A Heisman Trophy winner and Thorpe Award winner. Be sure to check back tomorrow for #35 in our countdown to kickoff. Enjoy!

Steve Owens (36) Days Away From College Football Kickoff

Boomer Sooner

Steve Owens joined Oklahoma and quickly became a powerful running back for the Sooners. From 1967 to 1969, he set four conference records. In 1967, he ran for 869 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. The next year, he finished with 1,536 yards and 21 touchdowns.

As OU’s workhorse, Owens carried the ball 358 times in 1969 for 1,523 yards while scoring 23 touchdowns (a school record). While playing on a 1969 squad that had been hurt badly by graduation in 1968, Owens carried the load for the Sooner offense. Owens had two 200-plus-yard games while leading the Sooners to a 6-4 season. For his efforts, he was awarded the Heisman Trophy. Owens was the second player from Oklahoma to win the Heisman.

Owens scored 57 touchdowns in his career, making him the school’s all-time leading scorer. He also holds the records for most carries in a single game with 55 and most career carries with 958. By the end of his college career, Owens had rushed for 4,041 yards, which ranks third in school history.

The Detroit Lions picked Owens in the first round as the 19th overall selection in the 1970 draft. He became the first player in Lions history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season and was named All-Pro in both 1971 and 1972. In 1991, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and honored as the Walter Camp Foundation Alumnus of the Year. The following year, he joined the Orange Bowl Hall of Honor.

Owens is the CEO of Steve Owens Associates and Steve Owens Insurance Group, both based in Norman, Oklahoma, and offering a wide range of insurance and related services. He served as Oklahoma’s Athletic Director from 1996 to 1998. Owens serves on the Board of Directors for the Jim Thorpe Association, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, Thunderbird Clubhouse, City Care, and Arvest Bank. He is also on the selection committees for the Doak Walker Award and the Danny Wuerffel Award.

Another Great #36, Bennie Blades, Miami

In high school, Bennie Blades was known more for track, even earning an invitation to the 1984 Olympic trials in the 400 meters. As a college freshman, he played as a reserve cornerback and on special teams, then became the starting free safety in his sophomore year. That season, he led the team with four interceptions and returned two for touchdowns. The next year, he was a Jim Thorpe Award finalist and led the nation with ten interceptions. He also stood out for his open-field tackling, making 16 tackles in a game against Oklahoma.

In his senior year, Blades helped the Hurricanes win the national championship after coming up just short the year before against Penn State. He won the Thorpe Award and was named a unanimous All-American. Early in that championship season, he recovered a fumble deep in Hurricanes territory to secure a one-point win over Florida State. Over his college career, Blades recorded 19 interceptions for 305 return yards and made 286 tackles. Coach Jimmy Johnson called him the best player at his position that he ever coached. In the NFL, Blades was the third overall pick in the 1988 draft and played nine seasons with the Detroit Lions and two with Seattle.

Editor’s Note: The countdown to college football kickoff has been a series on the Last Word on College Football social media platforms for the past 9 years. They consisted of a photo and a small blurb for each player, with the jersey corresponding to the number of days until kickoff. The rank of the players is sourced from articles by Bleacher Report, Fox Sports, and The Athletic. There are also some favorite players of the Last Word on College Football writers. Their bios are sourced from multiple online sources, including but not limited to the College Football Hall of Fame, their Heisman profiles, and school websites.

Main Photo: Heisman Trophy