Former Texas Tech DB and NFL Draft prospect Tyler Owens is certainly no rocket scientist. Given what he said at the Scouting Combine, one can’t be sure he truly knows what a rocket even does.
“I don’t believe in space,” Owens said in a video posted on Twitter by Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report. “I’m real religious, so I think we’re alone right now. I don’t think there’s other planets and other stuff like that.”
He added that although he doesn’t embrace the idea that the Earth is flat, he does believe that proponents of this conspiracy theory have some valid points.
One has to wonder what he thinks of that NFL Draft talking season cliche “makes plays in space.”
While Owens is not interviewing for a job at NASA, this level of ignorance can’t be ignored. You can look up, right now, from wherever you are and see space. If you have a telescope, you can see other planets. You don’t have to be as intelligent as Neil deGrasse Tyson to realize that Owens’ comments have his NFL Draft stock in freefall.
Again, this is about whether he can ball at the next level. No one is seeking a dissertation on astrophysics from him. However, Owens’ NFL.com prospect profile lists the following under “Weaknesses”:
- Lack of experience shows up with apparent mental busts.
- Understanding of zone assignments seems to get murky.
NFL scouts question his ability to grasp coverage schemes and believe he’s prone to mental lapses. His comments on the cosmos don’t help his cause. Which is too bad, because in theory, his draft stock should be shooting for the moon.
His broad jump was the highest in NFL combine history, nearing the world record. He has astronomical speed, as reports indicated he was the fastest player at the East-West Shrine Game.
However, the Baltimore Ravens should pass on drafting this guy. While not the Ravens’ top priority this draft, defensive back is a position of need. However, Baltimore should go for a guy that is much more experienced and better grounded.
See this list. They need a guy who is down to Earth.
