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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Friday, March 4, 2005

UH FOOTBALL
Ex-Warrior Owens to speak at clinics

Advertiser Staff

Chad Owens, an All-America football player at the University of Hawai'i who is expected to be selected in next month's NFL draft, will be the featured speaker at this week's Hawai'i Speed and Quickness clinics on the UH campus.

Chad Owens

"Any chance to give back, I'm going to do that," said Owens, who participated at the NFL combine last week in Indianapolis.

Owens, a Roosevelt High graduate, joined the Warriors as a non-scholarship player in 2000. He quickly emerged as one of the nation's best kick returners.

In a nationally televised victory over Brigham Young University in 2001, Owens scored on kickoff and punt returns.

This past season, he returned five punts for touchdowns and earned the Mosi Tatupu Award, which is given annually by the Hula Bowl to the nation's best college football special teams' player.

Owens said this weekend's clinics give "me the opportunity to work with the kids. That's the most important thing to me. I never had those opportunities growing up. I'd like to see the kids succeed and do well with the help of the speed camps."

For a fee of $10 per session, each camper receives a Jamba Juice coupon and instruction in plyometrics and running techniques.

"Those kids will be better prepared, whether they're going into high school sports or trying to make the youth basketball team," Owens said. "The camps will give them the edge. They'll look that much more athletic when they try out."

Owens helped out last year, "and I remember some of those kids. They've improved so much."

Although Owens' wife, Rena, gave birth to the couple's daughter on Wednesday, he remains committed to teaching this weekend.

"It's important to me," Owens said.

Sessions are tomorrow and Sunday. For ages 7 to 12, the session runs from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Those 13 and older participate from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

For details, call 739-5444.