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Chad Owens has had a great
start to the 2010 season.
In week one he scored a
touchdown on an amazing 90-yard punt return that will be talked about for months
to come. This week he sparkled again as he returned a wide field-goal attempt
for 117 yards, giving the Argos
some much needed momentum for their 36-34 victory over the Blue Bombers.
Head Coach Jim Barker, who
acquired the 28-year-old from Montreal
for a fourth-round draft pick, is not surprise to have seen Owens’ talents
shine over the last two weeks.
"When I was in Calgary I tried to get
him," Barker said Friday. "He's a special player."
"He just has a knack
for it and he has a tremendous amount of confidence," Barker said.
"He's the ultimate warrior."
But a modest Owens sees
himself as a guy just having fun and playing a game he loves.
"I feel like I'm in
college again," said Owens, who was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in
the sixth-round after a record-tying career at the University of Hawaii
that included eight return TDs.
"The reason I say that
is because I'm just out here having fun, playing the game I love with no
pressure. When I'm like that, I'm at my best."
"I'm playing within
myself," he said. "I'm not trying to do too much, but at the same
time you've got to go out there with a mentality that you're going to score,
make a big play."
Kick return touchdowns in
back-to-back games are nothing new for Owens, but returning a missed field goal
is.
"A field goal return
is a new aspect for me and I love it," he said. "Anytime we get to do
a return that's a very exciting part of the game for the fans, for myself, for
my teammates it's a big momentum changer."
Owens’ wife Rena and their
three young children live in Hawaii but will
soon be joining him in Toronto.
"They need to be part
of this special thing we've got going on here in Toronto and I want them to experience it with
me,” he said.