University of Memphis Athletics
Photo by: Joe Murphy
Tigers Football Q&A: Rodney Owens
Oct 29, 2020 | Football
Junior college transfer using his wide receiver skills in the UofM secondary.
What was it like to have a game with two interceptions?
It felt great to be out there, to be able to make those plays. It was a great feeling to see that all of my hard work paid off. Coach Mac(Intyre) helped me prepare for those situations, and I was there to execute the plays.
How did it feel to see the offense take your two interceptions and turn them into points?
It's great to give offense some energy to go and score. It's a great feeling because you've made a significant impact when the offense scores off your turnover.
Talk about how the secondary, defense takes a little pride when it helps the offense score.
Our motto is "on the ball." For defense, that's takeaways. We want to get the ball and give it back to our offense. We know we have a tremendous offense, so we want to do what we can to put the ball in their hands.
How was it last year – your transition year – learning from your teammates?
My teammates were great, and they taught me a lot. But it was tough phase, coming in here, getting used to the system and earning my spot. I had to work. You have to work for everything here at Memphis. It was fun, though. I learned a lot. Now, it feels great being out there on the field and making plays.
What did you work on during quarantine to improve your game for the 2020 season?
I worked the most on my mobility and man coverage. Those were my emphases. I felt like every other part of my game was nearly complete, as far as tackling and filling in for the run. I felt like to needed to show my coaches that I can play man-to-man.
You transferred to Memphis from the junior college. What attracted you to Memphis?
Coach Silverfield. He had been recruiting me hard since my junior year of high school (Ensworth in Nashville). Once I transferred from Louisville to junior college, he stayed in touch with me, checking in on me. He fought for me to get here.
When you were in high school, was Memphis an option for you in recruiting?
Memphis was pretty high on my radar back when I was being recruited in high school. I made a decision to go to another school. Memphis was one of my top three choices out of high school.
You chose Louisville. Do you know much about the rivalry between the Memphis and Louisville?
I have heard about it, but I really don't know about the rivalry that much.
In high school, you played both sides of the ball – at wide receiver and defensive back. When did you make the move to just playing defense?
Even though I still played both positions my last two years, I shifted more of my focus to defensive back as a junior. I did it to take advantage of my size and versatility.
What did you like the most in high school: catching passes or making tackles?
Back then, I definitely enjoyed catching passes more. I liked scoring touchdowns.
Did your time as a wide receiver help you pull in the two interceptions against Temple?
It was like a flashback to see the ball in the air, run it down and haul it in.
You are a Dean's List student and an American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team member. How important is the academic side of being a student-athlete to you?
I'm here to get my degree and to make my mother proud. This is all she worked for. She always preaches about getting your education and how important it is.
The team missed spring drills and had a limited preseason due to COVID. Now, with a few games played, how is the defense making progress?
It was pretty tough not being together for the spring and summer. But I feel we have some good chemistry, and each day we're getting a step closer, getting better. The more we keep working together, the more confidence we keep building, the better we'll get.
It felt great to be out there, to be able to make those plays. It was a great feeling to see that all of my hard work paid off. Coach Mac(Intyre) helped me prepare for those situations, and I was there to execute the plays.
How did it feel to see the offense take your two interceptions and turn them into points?
It's great to give offense some energy to go and score. It's a great feeling because you've made a significant impact when the offense scores off your turnover.
Talk about how the secondary, defense takes a little pride when it helps the offense score.
Our motto is "on the ball." For defense, that's takeaways. We want to get the ball and give it back to our offense. We know we have a tremendous offense, so we want to do what we can to put the ball in their hands.
How was it last year – your transition year – learning from your teammates?
My teammates were great, and they taught me a lot. But it was tough phase, coming in here, getting used to the system and earning my spot. I had to work. You have to work for everything here at Memphis. It was fun, though. I learned a lot. Now, it feels great being out there on the field and making plays.
What did you work on during quarantine to improve your game for the 2020 season?
I worked the most on my mobility and man coverage. Those were my emphases. I felt like every other part of my game was nearly complete, as far as tackling and filling in for the run. I felt like to needed to show my coaches that I can play man-to-man.
You transferred to Memphis from the junior college. What attracted you to Memphis?
Coach Silverfield. He had been recruiting me hard since my junior year of high school (Ensworth in Nashville). Once I transferred from Louisville to junior college, he stayed in touch with me, checking in on me. He fought for me to get here.
When you were in high school, was Memphis an option for you in recruiting?
Memphis was pretty high on my radar back when I was being recruited in high school. I made a decision to go to another school. Memphis was one of my top three choices out of high school.
You chose Louisville. Do you know much about the rivalry between the Memphis and Louisville?
I have heard about it, but I really don't know about the rivalry that much.
In high school, you played both sides of the ball – at wide receiver and defensive back. When did you make the move to just playing defense?
Even though I still played both positions my last two years, I shifted more of my focus to defensive back as a junior. I did it to take advantage of my size and versatility.
What did you like the most in high school: catching passes or making tackles?
Back then, I definitely enjoyed catching passes more. I liked scoring touchdowns.
Did your time as a wide receiver help you pull in the two interceptions against Temple?
It was like a flashback to see the ball in the air, run it down and haul it in.
You are a Dean's List student and an American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team member. How important is the academic side of being a student-athlete to you?
I'm here to get my degree and to make my mother proud. This is all she worked for. She always preaches about getting your education and how important it is.
The team missed spring drills and had a limited preseason due to COVID. Now, with a few games played, how is the defense making progress?
It was pretty tough not being together for the spring and summer. But I feel we have some good chemistry, and each day we're getting a step closer, getting better. The more we keep working together, the more confidence we keep building, the better we'll get.
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