How Star athlete R.C. Owens and The College of Idaho lifted each other to new heights

On November 3, 1957, R.C. Owens jumped high into the air as he had done hundreds of times before.

He didn’t know it at the time, but the leap would change Owens’ life – and forever transform the way American professional sports are played.

Owens’ San Francisco 49ers trailed the Detroit Lions 31-28 that day. As the final seconds ticked away, quarterback Y.A. Tittle launched a desperation pass from midfield. Owens, surrounded by Detroit defenders, soared above the crowd and snagged the game-winning touchdown.

The play, known famously as the "Alley Oop," would become a staple of the 49er offense and the hallmark of Owens’ eight-year NFL career. Today, the play remains a vital component of both football and basketball playbooks across the country.

"It makes me very proud," said Owens, a 2011 inductee into the San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame. "To this day, people call me ‘Oop,’ and it’s still very exciting for me."

Prior to his NFL career, Owens honed his athletic talents in tiny Caldwell, Idaho, as a three-sport standout at The College of Idaho. Long before he patented the Alley Oop – back when he was known as plain-old R.C. – Owens already had a habit of doing things no one had ever seen.

It is a habit that stuck with him the rest of his life.

Full Story: http://www.collegeofidaho.edu/ourstories/rcowens

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