Brandon Owens was ranked the nation’s No. 18 safety prospect by rivals.com coming out of high school in Florida in 2003. By last season he had emerged as a standout strong safety for the Gophers and almost certain NFL draft choice. Then he had a violent collision with Penn State quarterback Michael Robinson, injured his shoulder and suffered nerve damage.
Last week’s Minnesota-Penn State game here brought back attention to the accident that ended Owens’ football career. Gopher coach Glen Mason said one of the two players had to suffer an injury because of the intense impact that occurred. For awhile last season Penn State showed the collision on its video screen at Beaver Stadium but then Mason called Nittany Lions coach Joe Paterno to tell him how serious the injury to Owens was and asked that the video not be aired.
Owens, a junior last season, had an eight hour surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Mason said the severity of the injury was likened to a “NASCAR injury because the nerves were pulled off the vertebrae and so his football career is done.”
Mason also said Owens is still in school and “he is trying to work with us as a student assistant.”