2021 regents' alumni award recipient:
steve owens
Presented by the OU Board of Regents and the OU Alumni Association, the Regents’ Alumni Award honors the important roles of OU alumni and supporters to the life of the university. A committee formed by the Alumni Association selects the award recipients from nominations made by alumni, friends, and OU faculty and staff.
Congratulations to OU letterwinner and Sooner Club member Steve Owens for being one of 10 alumni to receive the 2021 Regents' Alumni Award in recognition of his dedication and service to OU! Read more about Steve's contributions to the university below.
STEVE OWENS
If you follow Sooner football, chances are you know the name Steve Owens. Owens attended OU from 1966 to 1969, where he became one of the most successful student-athletes to wear the crimson and cream uniform. Known as “OU’s workhorse,” he left his mark on the OU record book as Oklahoma’s all-time leading scorer with 57 touchdowns; holds the record for the most carriers in a game (55) and career (958); and finished his career with 4,041 yards on the ground, the third most in school history.
He was selected to the All Big 8 Conference team in 1967-69; received Big 8 Player of the Year honors; was a Consensus All American in 1968 and 1969; and was selected by his teammates as co-captain of the 1969 Sooners. During his final season as a Sooner, he was named the Walter Camp Player of the Year and received college football’s most prestigious honor, the Heisman Trophy, becoming the second Oklahoma Sooner to win the Heisman.
Owens carried on his collegiate athletics success to the professional realms. He was drafted as the 19th pick in the 1970 NFL draft to the Detroit Lions and proceeded to become the first running back in the history of the franchise to gain over 1,000 yards in a season. He was also an All-Pro selection. After six years with Detroit, Owens retired in 1975 with a serious knee injury.
After retiring, both his collegiate and professional achievements were well-recognized in the sports industry. Owens was inducted into the Orange Bowl Hall of Honor in 1992 and in 2005 was recognized with the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame’s Tradition of Excellence Award, which annually recognizes a Heisman recipient who has distinguished himself in his chosen career and brought honor and distinction to the Heisman Award program. More recently, in 2006, he was honored with the unveiling of his Heisman statue in OU’s Heisman Park outside of The Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
In 1991, Owens was elected to the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. He was also named the Walter Camp Foundation Alumni of the Year, bestowed on an individual who has distinguished himself in the pursuit of excellence as an athlete, in his personal career and in doing good works for others.
Owens is CEO of Steve Owens Associates and Steve Owens Insurance Group, which offers insurance and service-related products. He keeps strong ties to OU and served as athletics director from 1996-98. He is a founding member of the Norman Public School Foundation and Miami (Oklahoma) Public School Foundation.
He has been a spokesman for the Ronald McDonald House and has given his time to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Child Welfare Citizens Advisory Board, the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Football Foundation, and the Advisory Board for the Norman Family YMCA. He also serves on the selection committees for the Doak Walker and the Danny Wuerffel Awards.
Owens has been a devoted member of OU Athletics’ Sooner Club for over 30 years and is a Champions Society member, which represents the top 10% of the club’s membership. His annual and capital donations help ensure OU’s tradition of excellence continues for future generations and supports current student-athletes’ experience.
Owens also is a supporter of OU Athletics’ Booster Clubs for baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s golf and wrestling, and he is active in OU’s Varsity O Association, an organization built for student-athletes to become lifetime members of the OU Athletics family.
Owens also has provided financial support to other university initiatives, including Fine Arts, OU Libraries and the Alumni Association.
If you follow Sooner football, chances are you know the name Steve Owens. Owens attended OU from 1966 to 1969, where he became one of the most successful student-athletes to wear the crimson and cream uniform. Known as “OU’s workhorse,” he left his mark on the OU record book as Oklahoma’s all-time leading scorer with 57 touchdowns; holds the record for the most carriers in a game (55) and career (958); and finished his career with 4,041 yards on the ground, the third most in school history.
He was selected to the All Big 8 Conference team in 1967-69; received Big 8 Player of the Year honors; was a Consensus All American in 1968 and 1969; and was selected by his teammates as co-captain of the 1969 Sooners. During his final season as a Sooner, he was named the Walter Camp Player of the Year and received college football’s most prestigious honor, the Heisman Trophy, becoming the second Oklahoma Sooner to win the Heisman.
Owens carried on his collegiate athletics success to the professional realms. He was drafted as the 19th pick in the 1970 NFL draft to the Detroit Lions and proceeded to become the first running back in the history of the franchise to gain over 1,000 yards in a season. He was also an All-Pro selection. After six years with Detroit, Owens retired in 1975 with a serious knee injury.
After retiring, both his collegiate and professional achievements were well-recognized in the sports industry. Owens was inducted into the Orange Bowl Hall of Honor in 1992 and in 2005 was recognized with the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame’s Tradition of Excellence Award, which annually recognizes a Heisman recipient who has distinguished himself in his chosen career and brought honor and distinction to the Heisman Award program. More recently, in 2006, he was honored with the unveiling of his Heisman statue in OU’s Heisman Park outside of The Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
In 1991, Owens was elected to the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. He was also named the Walter Camp Foundation Alumni of the Year, bestowed on an individual who has distinguished himself in the pursuit of excellence as an athlete, in his personal career and in doing good works for others.
Owens is CEO of Steve Owens Associates and Steve Owens Insurance Group, which offers insurance and service-related products. He keeps strong ties to OU and served as athletics director from 1996-98. He is a founding member of the Norman Public School Foundation and Miami (Oklahoma) Public School Foundation.
He has been a spokesman for the Ronald McDonald House and has given his time to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Child Welfare Citizens Advisory Board, the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Football Foundation, and the Advisory Board for the Norman Family YMCA. He also serves on the selection committees for the Doak Walker and the Danny Wuerffel Awards.
Owens has been a devoted member of OU Athletics’ Sooner Club for over 30 years and is a Champions Society member, which represents the top 10% of the club’s membership. His annual and capital donations help ensure OU’s tradition of excellence continues for future generations and supports current student-athletes’ experience.
Owens also is a supporter of OU Athletics’ Booster Clubs for baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s golf and wrestling, and he is active in OU’s Varsity O Association, an organization built for student-athletes to become lifetime members of the OU Athletics family.
Owens also has provided financial support to other university initiatives, including Fine Arts, OU Libraries and the Alumni Association.
