Burgess Owens facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Burgess Owens
Official portrait, 2020
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Utah's 4th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2021
Preceded by	Ben McAdams
Personal details
Born	Clarence Burgess Owens (1951-08-02) August 2, 1951 (age 74) Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Josie Owens ​ ​ (m. 1978; div. 2012)​
Children	6
Residences	Herriman, Utah, U.S.
Education	University of Miami (BS)
Signature
Website
Football career
Owens with the Miami Hurricanes in 1972
No. 22, 44
Position:	Safety
Personal information
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	199 lb (90 kg)
Career information
High school:	Rickards (Tallahassee, Florida)
College:	Miami (FL)
NFL Draft:	1973 / Round: 1 / Pick: 13
Career history
New York Jets (1973–1979) Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders (1980–1982)
Career highlights and awards
Super Bowl champion (XV) Second-team All-American (1972)
Career NFL statistics
Interceptions: 30 Int. return yards: 458 Defensive Touchdowns: 4
Player stats at PFR

Clarence Burgess Owens (born August 2, 1951) is an American politician and a former professional football player. He currently serves as a U.S. representative for Utah's 4th congressional district. He has held this position since 2021.

Before becoming a politician, Owens played as a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He played for the New York Jets and the Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders. He even won a championship with the Raiders in Super Bowl XV in 1980. After his football career, Owens started several businesses. He is also the CEO of a non-profit group that helps young people who are having difficulties. Owens is a member of the Republican Party. He was first elected to Congress in 2020. He is one of four Black Republicans in the House of Representatives.

Early Life and Education

Owens was born in Columbus, Ohio. His father, who was from Texas, moved there to study. He couldn't complete his studies in Texas because of unfair laws at the time. Later, his family moved to Tallahassee, Florida, where his father became a college professor. Owens grew up in a Baptist home.

He graduated from Rickards High School in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1969. He was one of four African-American players who joined a football team at a high school that had mostly white students. Owens later earned a degree in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Miami.

Football Career Highlights

Owens was one of the first Black athletes to be recruited to play football at the University of Miami. He was also one of the first Black students to receive a scholarship there. While playing for the Hurricanes, he was named a First-team All-American defensive back. He was also named the Most Valuable Defensive Player of the North–South All Star Game. In 1980, he was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall Of Fame.

The New York Jets chose Owens as the 13th pick in the first round of the 1973 NFL draft. In his first season, he returned a kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown against the Denver Broncos. This was the only kickoff return touchdown for the Jets during the 1970s. He was a regular starter for the Jets for most of the 1970s. He then joined the Raiders and was part of their 1980 Super Bowl XV championship team.

After Football: Business and Helping Others

After leaving professional football in 1983, Owens moved to New York City. He and his brother started a business that sold electronics. This business did not succeed, and Owens faced financial difficulties.

Later, he moved to Brooklyn and worked as a chimney sweep and a security guard. He then moved to Philadelphia and took a sales job with WordPerfect. In later years, he worked as an account executive for companies like Sprint and Motorola. From 2009 to 2013, he owned his own business called Pure and Simple Solutions.

Owens is also a founder, board member, and CEO of Second Chance 4 Youth. This is a non-profit organization started in 2019. It helps young people who are facing challenges or have been in trouble. Owens has also been a frequent guest on Fox News.

Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives

Elections to Congress

2020 Election

In November 2019, Owens announced he would run for the U.S. House of Representatives in Utah's 4th congressional district. He was one of four candidates in the Republican primary election.

On June 30, Owens won the primary with 43% of the votes. He defeated Utah State Representative Kim Coleman and two other challengers.

Owens was a speaker at the 2020 Republican National Convention.

In the general election, Owens ran against the Democratic representative, Ben McAdams. After the election, on November 14, 2020, many news sources and political figures announced Owens had won. McAdams conceded the race on November 16, and Owens officially won.

2022 Election

Owens won the Republican primary again in 2022 with 61.9% of the vote. He then won the general election. He defeated Democratic candidate Darlene McDonald and United Utah Party candidate January Walker.

2024 Election

In 2024, Owens ran unopposed in the Republican primary. He won the general election against Democratic candidate Katrina Fallick-Wang and United Utah Party candidate Vaughn Cook.

Time in Office

Owens in November 2024

As a member of Congress, Owens has been involved in important votes and discussions. For example, in January 2021, he voted on the results of the 2020 United States presidential election.

In 2021, Owens opposed the For the People Act. This was a bill proposed by Democrats to change election laws. He also co-sponsored the Fairness for All Act. This bill aimed to prevent discrimination based on certain personal characteristics. It also sought to protect religious freedom.

Committee Work

Owens serves on important committees in the House of Representatives:

• Committee on Education and Labor
• Committee on the Judiciary

Group Memberships

He is also part of several groups within Congress:

• Republican Study Committee
• Congressional Western Caucus

Political Views

Owens has stated that his political views were more liberal when he left the NFL in 1982. However, during his 2020 campaign, he described his current views as "very conservative." In June 2019, he spoke to a committee about historical issues. He has also shared his opinions on sports protests. In November 2019, Owens called Donald Trump "an advocate for black Americans." He believes that it is important for the Republican Party to have control in Congress.

Healthcare Views

Owens has discussed his views on healthcare. He has said that he supports protecting healthcare coverage for people with existing health conditions.

Economy Views

In October 2020, Owens said that the country's main economic needs were to reduce rules for businesses and cut taxes. He also stated that he was against increasing the minimum wage. He believes that the Republican Party needs to be in control to help the country's economy.

Personal Life

Owens was married to Josie for 34 years, and they have six children. His oldest child is Summur-Rayn.

He is a survivor of prostate cancer.

Owens is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has spoken publicly about his faith. He joined the Church during his last season with the Oakland Raiders. He and his wife Josie were baptized on December 31, 1982.

Books by Burgess Owens

• It's All About Team: Exposing the Black Talented Tenth, 2012.
• Liberalism or How to Turn Good Men into Whiners, Weenies and Wimps, 2016.
• Why I Stand: From Freedom to the Killing Fields of Socialism, 2018.

See also

• Black conservatism in the United States
• List of African-American United States representatives
• List of American sportsperson-politicians