A few things Atlanta Falcons cornerback Chris Owens wants you to know

Chris Owens with DC Van Gorder at May's minicamp, Photo: G. Martin

When Atlanta Falcons General Manager Thomas Dimitroff selected cornerback Chris Owens in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft, it left more than a few fans scratching their heads.

Local product, Asher Allen from Georgia was selected only a few spots before. If he'd been their target, they could have easily moved up to get him.

Another local name, Vanderbilt's D.J. Moore, was available at the 90th selection, when Owens' name was called.

It was Owens' teammate Coye Francies who was considered the better prospect. Francies was taller and had more interceptions (three to Owens' one) in 2008. Many considered Francies one of the more underrated prospects in the draft.

But Dimitroff saw it another way. In fact, the three-year starter at San Jose State was a player the GM had noticed even during his time as the Director of College Scouting with the New England Patriots.

He had spent hours studying Owens, months even. He knew that even though Owens had only one interception his senior year, the San Jose State team captain had 13 in his career, fourth-most in school history.

He also knew the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) was a pass-happy conference and Owens had earned the respect of every offensive coordinator in the conference, so much so that teams rarely even threw to his side of the field, hence the lone interception.

"We were pretty dialed in on Chris Owens (after scouting him extensively for the 2007 draft)," Dimitroff said of Owens following the draft. "...In the end, this guy's ball skills, his speed, his athleticism, as well as his physicality is something that brought him over the top."

But it's still understandable that Falcons fans said "Chris Who?" when the 22-year-old was drafted. East Coasters rarely had a chance to watch the Los Angeles, California native play. He understands that, but believes everyone may appreciate his upbringing in the West Coast philosophy because you learn quickly how to cover a pass.

"Being out in the Southeast, in Atlanta, they’re not used to that West Coast style, that WAC offense," Owens said recently at training camp before providing some insight into his mental approach to playing his position. "But as a corner, you learn how to take your wins and your losses. You have to forget about the last play and keep playing.”

Being forgetful, he says, is critical to the position. It's something he learned in college, but is still refining, almost relearning, in the pros. During May's minicamp, Owens was the object of much of Defensive Coordinator Brian Van Gorder's coaching. In training camp the tests have continued, the 5'9" corner is often given the assignment to cover Michael Jenkins, a 6'4", six-year NFL receiving veteran.

In Saturday's preseason loss to the Detroit Lions he gave up his share of plays, including a touchdown pass from the rookie Matthew Stafford. He'll never admit it, but Stafford's pass was near-perfect and even Pro Bowlers like Champ Bailey and Nnamdi Asomugha could have done little to defend it. But despite the touchdown, he kept playing, covering his man closely and physically, while also helping in run support.

And that's something he wants you to know about him. You won't find his effort disappointing.

"One thing about Chris Owens, he’s not going to give up," he said. "Everybody’s going to get beat sometimes. As a cornerback I’ve learned how to play the next play, and give my all on every play. If I can give my all, 110%, then I’ll feel good about myself.”

Chris Owens is also polite. Guys from the West Coast, especially corners, may have a certain reputation, but this one doesn't fit that criteria. In fact, he's quite the opposite. If you spend five minutes with him, you'll understand.

He'll introduce himself to you, as if you aren't already aware of who he is. He'll also shake your hand, firm but not in such a way that tells you he's trying to impress you with his hand-squeezing ability. It's a confident shake, similar to his style in general.

He'll impress you with the confidence with which he speaks. He'll smile at you and make you forget that he's a rookie that just walked off the practice field for about the fifth time in his career. You'll forget that you were just watching him spend 10 minutes after practice with his assistant head coach doing drills.

Speaking of his coach--Hall of Famer Emmit Thomas--, he'll tell you how instrumental the secondary coach has been in his short career, on and off the field.

"Emmitt has really taught me a lot of stuff about the game of football," said Owens. "About being a man. Battling through injuries, through nicks and crannies. Stuff on defense, schemes. He’s been a great help. I couldn’t ask for a better coach.”

And when you remind him that particular coach is in the Hall of Fame, he laughs in a way that says it's not the first time he's heard that.

"He reminds me every day," he says with a chuckle.

Ultimately, however, he understands that he's in control of what he accomplishes each day, not his fellow players or coaches. He's devised a plan of attack for each day on the practice field, meeting room, or playing field. He says the coaches will determine what happens, in terms of the lineup, on September 13, when the Falcons take the field for their first regular season game.

"“My mindset is to be the best I can every day," Owens says, in typical athlete speak, but then adds something not heard very often. "And get better at at least one thing every day."

On his first day of training camp, he vowed to himself to keep things simple. The lesson that day was to go out and keep an open mind. He did admit to being nervous, but likened it more to a feeling of wanting to just get this next big step in his life underway.

“I think it was more anxiousness if anything," he said. "I was really excited and wanted to get started. I didn’t know what to expect. I came out here and I just wanted to see what was going to happen."

That's exactly the kind of attitude Coach Smith wants in his players. It's an attitude that closely mirrors Smith's initial message to the team when minicamp began. Smith spoke about remaining humble and hungry in 2009, specifically saying that his players need to remember they don't know everything and can consistently learn from everyone around them.

Learning sometimes means catching an earful from the head coach. When asked about one specific moment at practice when it appeared Smith tucked his cool demeanor in his back pocket for a moment to let the defense have it, Owens just smiled, almost proud of his head coach.

“He didn’t lose his cool; he was just being Coach Smith," the rookie said. "Coach Smith is a great coach. A great coach."

Additional Training Camp/Preseason coverage

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