Clarence Burgess Owens(born August 2, 1951) is an American politician, nonprofit executive, and former professionalfootballplayer serving as theU.S. representativeforUtah's 4th congressional districtsince 2021. He playedsafetyfor 10 seasons in theNational Football League(NFL) for theNew York Jetsand theOakland Raiders,winning a championship with the Raiders inSuper Bowl XVin 1980. Since leaving the NFL, Owens has founded several businesses and is the CEO of a nonprofit dedicated to helping troubled and incarcerated youth. ARepublican,Owens was first elected to Congress in 2020, when he narrowly defeated incumbentDemocratBen McAdamsin the2020 election.Owens is one of fourblackRepublicans in the House of Representatives.[2]
Burgess Owens | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||||||
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromUtah's4thdistrict | |||||||||
| Assumed office January 3, 2021 | |||||||||
| Preceded by | Ben McAdams | ||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||
| Born | Clarence Burgess Owens August 2, 1951 Columbus, Ohio,U.S. | ||||||||
| Political party | Republican | ||||||||
| Spouse |
Josie Owens
(m.1978;div.2012) | ||||||||
| Children | 6 | ||||||||
| Residence(s) | Herriman, Utah,U.S.[1] | ||||||||
| Education | University of Miami(BS) | ||||||||
| Signature |  | ||||||||
| Website | House website | ||||||||
|
American football career | |||||||||
| 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 | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Early life
editOwens was born inColumbus, Ohio,where his Texas-born father had come to do graduate studies that he could not complete in Texas due toJim Crow laws.[3]The family later moved toTallahassee, Florida,where Owens's father taught as a college professor. Owens was raised in aBaptisthome.[3]
Education and football career
edit
Owens graduated fromRickards High SchoolinTallahassee, Florida,in 1969.[4]He was one of four African-American players who were integrated onto a football team at a historically white high school.[5]Owens was the third of four black athletes recruited to play at theUniversity of Miamiand the third black student to earn a scholarship.[5][3]He was named a First-teamAll-Americandefensive back,Most Valuable Defensive Player of the North–South All Star Game, and MVP of the Coaches All-American Game. He was inducted into theUniversity of MiamiSports Hall Of Fame in 1980, and itsOrange Bowl"Ring of Honor" in 1999.
Owens earned aBachelor of Sciencedegree inBiology/Chemistryfrom theUniversity of Miami.[6]
TheNew York Jetsselected Owens with the 13th pick in the first round of the1973 NFL draft.During hisrookie season,he returned a kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown against theDenver Broncos.This was the Jets' only touchdown scored on a kickoff return during the 1970s.[citation needed]He was a regular starter for the Jets for most of the 1970s, and was a part of the Raiders'1980 Super Bowl XVchampionship team.
Post-football career
editIn 1983, Owens moved toNew York City.Shortly after leaving professional football, he and his brother ran a business that sold electronics to other businesses to track business expenses. The venture failed and Owens eventually declared bankruptcy.[3]
Owens later relocated to a small apartment inBrooklyn,where he worked as a chimney sweep and security guard. He later moved toPhiladelphia,where he took a sales job withWordPerfect.[3]In later years he was an account executive withSprintandMotorola,and from 2009 to 2013 he owned a business called Pure and Simple Solutions.[7]
He is a founder, board member, and CEO of Second Chance 4 Youth, a nonprofit dedicated to helping troubled and incarcerated youth that was founded in 2019.[8][9]
U.S. House of Representatives
editElections
edit2020
editIn November 2019, Owens announced that he would run for theU.S. House of RepresentativesinUtah's 4th congressional district.He was one of four candidates in the Republican primary.
On June 30, Owens won the primary with 43% of the vote, defeatingUtah State RepresentativeKim Colemanby 20 points. He also defeated two other challengers:KSLradio personality Jay McFarland and businessman Trent Christensen.[11][12]
Owens was a speaker at the2020 Republican National Convention.[13]
Owens faced Democratic incumbentBen McAdamsin the general election. On November 14, eleven days after the election and with 99% of precincts reporting,PresidentDonald Trumpand UtahU.S. SenatorMike Leecongratulated Owens on winning the election, based uponBreitbart Newscalling it for Owens.[14]McAdams conceded to Owens on November 16[15]and theAssociated Presscalled the race for Owens.[16]
2022
editOwens won the Republican primary with 61.9% of the vote against challenger Jake Hunsaker. In the general election, he defeated Democratic nominee Darlene McDonald andUnited Utah Partynominee January Walker, running with the endorsement of theForward Party.
Tenure
edit
In late 2020, Owens was identified as a participant in the "Freedom Force", a group of incoming Republican members of the House of Representatives who oppose far-left ideology in the House, specifically the progressive group called "the Squad".[17][18][19]
On January 6, 2021, during the certification of electoral votes for the2020 United States presidential election,Owens opposed the objection to the electors fromArizona,butsupported the objectionto the electors fromPennsylvania.[20][21]
In 2021, Owens opposed theFor the People Act,a Democratic-sponsored bill to reform election laws.[22]
In 2021, Owens co-sponsored the Fairness for All Act, the Republican alternative to the Equality Act.[23]The bill would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity, and protect the free exercise of religion.
Committee assignments
editCaucus memberships
editPolitical positions
editOwens has said that his views were liberal upon leaving the NFL in 1982. During his 2020 Republican primary campaign, he described his current views as "very conservative".[26][3]In June 2019, Owens provided testimony to aUnited States House Committee on the Judiciarysubcommittee opposing a bill that advocatedreparations for slavery.[27]He has also criticizedU.S. national anthem protestsandColin Kaepernick.[28]In November 2019, Owens calledDonald Trump"an advocate for black Americans".[29]On January 6, 2021, he voted toreject Pennsylvania's electoral votesfor President-elect Biden but did not vote toreject Arizona's.[30]At a June 1, 2020, Republican primary debate, Owens said Democrats in Washington are held in thrall byMarxistsandsocialists.He said, "The days ofRonald ReaganandTip O'Neillare over. We're dealing with people who hate our country ".
Healthcare
editHe said that theAffordable Care Actshould be repealed and that he supported President Trump.[31]Later on in the campaign, Owens changed his stance, saying that coverage for preexisting conditions should be protected, and that he did not support repeal of Obamacare.[32][33][34]
Economy
editIn a candidate forum in October 2020, Owens said that the country's top economic need was to reduce business regulations and cut taxes. He also stated his opposition to a minimum wage increase.[35]When asked about the need for bipartisanship, he responded:
The first thing we have to do is make sure that the Republican Party gets control again... We're at a point now we just cannot afford to go off the cliff and allow a socialist to actually take the lead now... We have to be honest about this. There are truly people who don't love our culture and do anything to destroy it and transform us into something else.
LGBT rights
editOn July 19, 2022, Owens was among 47 Republican representatives who voted in favor of theRespect for Marriage Act,which would codify the right to same-sex marriage in federal law.[36]However, Owens voted "present" on final passage on December 8, 2022.[37]
In August 2022, Owens co-sponsored a bill put forth byMarjorie Taylor Greenethat would criminalizegender-affirming health carefor trans youth.[38]
Big Tech
editIn 2022, Owens was one of 39 Republicans to vote for the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022, an antitrust package that would crack down on corporations for anti-competitive behavior.[39][40]
Personal life
editOwens was married for 34 years to Josie and had six children before divorcing.[41]His eldest child is Summur-Rayn.[42]
He is aprostate cancersurvivor.[41]
Owens is a member ofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saintsand has spoken publicly about his faith.[4][43]He joined the Church during his final season with the Oakland Raiders.[5]Crediting the influence of teammateTodd Christensen,Owens (raised Baptist) and his wife Josie (raisedCatholicwithHinduinfluence[42]) were baptized on December 31, 1982.[5]In 1988, he spoke at a meeting sponsored by theCharles Redd Center for Western Studiesheld on the 10th anniversary of the1978 Revelation on Priesthood.[44]
Works and publications
edit- It's All About Team: Exposing the Black Talented Tenth,Paperless Publishing LLC, 2012.
- Liberalism or How to Turn Good Men into Whiners, Weenies and Wimps,Post Hill Press, 2016.
- Why I Stand: From Freedom to the Killing Fields of Socialism,Post Hill Press, 2018.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^Dean, Suzanne (January 13, 2021)."Congressmen representing Sanpete both vote yes on electoral objections".Sanpete Messenger.RetrievedFebruary 6,2021.
- ^"Black-American Members by Congress | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives".history.house.gov.
- ^abcdefBurr, Thomas (July 6, 2020)."Meet Burgess Owens, the Utah Republican who seeks to replace Rep. Ben McAdams".The Salt Lake Tribune.RetrievedAugust 19,2020.
- ^abEnsley, Gerald (April 10, 2008)."Ex-NFL player with Tallahassee roots speaks Friday".Tallahassee Democrat.Archived fromthe originalon April 12, 2008.RetrievedApril 15,2008.
- ^abcdToone, Trent (May 30, 2013)."Former Oakland Raider recounts LDS conversion".Deseret News.RetrievedAugust 19,2020.
- ^"Burgess Owens".Young America's Foundation.RetrievedJuly 27,2020.
- ^"Vote Smart | Facts For All".Vote Smart.RetrievedMarch 11,2024.
- ^"Burgess Owens – Sagamore Institute".June 2, 2020.RetrievedJuly 27,2020.
- ^"A second look at Burgess Owens' Second Chance 4 Youth nonprofit".RetrievedSeptember 21,2020.
- ^"Burgess Owens appears on his way to a win over Rep. Ben McAdams in Utah's 4th Congressional District race".The Salt Lake Tribune.
- ^Mihaly, Abigail (July 1, 2020)."Former NFL player Burgess Owens Wins Utah GOP primary".The Hill.RetrievedJuly 1,2020.
- ^"Former KSL radio personality Jay McFarland to run for Congress against Ben McAdams".The Salt Lake Tribune.RetrievedJuly 11,2020.
- ^"Burgess Owens touts Trump's record on race in speech at the Republican National Convention".The Salt Lake Tribune.
- ^Imlay, Ashley.Trump, Lee congratulate Owens on win, while race remains to be called,Deseret News,Salt Lake City, Utah,November 14, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
- ^Roche, Lisa Riley (November 16, 2020)."Rep. Ben McAdams to concede race; Burgess Owens wins in 4th Congressional District".Deseret News.RetrievedNovember 16,2020.
- ^Whitehurst, Lindsay & Sophia Eppolito.Republican Burgess Owens unseats Utah congressman McAdams,Associated Press,November 16, 2020.
- ^Jankowicz, Mia."A group of incoming GOP House members, calling themselves the 'Freedom Force,' are trying to counter Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's 'Squad'".Business Insider.
- ^Parke, Caleb (December 1, 2020)."GOP Congresswoman-elect on forming 'Freedom Force': Left is 'totally out of line' with mainstream".Fox News.
- ^Noor, Poppy (November 30, 2020)."The 'Freedom Force': Republican group takes on the Squad and 'evil' socialism".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on November 30, 2020.
- ^Yourish, Karen; Buchanan, Larry; Lu, Denise (January 7, 2021)."The 147 Republicans Who Voted to Overturn Election Results".New York Times.
- ^Vandenack, Tim (January 7, 2021)."Utah delegation splits on controversial objections to presidential vote totals".Standard-Examiner.Archived fromthe originalon January 9, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 8,2021.
- ^Romboy, Dennis (March 10, 2021)."Sen. Mike Lee says 'devil himself' wrote Democrats' election reform plan".Deseret News.RetrievedMarch 12,2021.
- ^"Fairness for All Act (H.R. 1440)".
- ^"Congressman Owens Appointed to Education and Labor, House Judiciary Committees | Representative Burgess Owens".owens.house.gov.January 25, 2021. Archived fromthe originalon February 7, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 2,2021.
- ^"Member List".Republican Study Committee. Archived fromthe originalon December 22, 2017.RetrievedDecember 21,2017.
- ^"3 GOP candidates concede 4th District primary race to Burgess Owens".KSL.
- ^Segers, Grace (June 19, 2019)."House committee confronts the" inheritance of slavery "in panel on reparations".CBS News.RetrievedJune 19,2019.
- ^"For Burgess Owens, his political journey began in an NFL locker room".SI.June 28, 2020.RetrievedJune 30,2020.
- ^Roche, Lisa Riley (November 6, 2019)."Former NFL player Burgess Owens gets in 4th Congressional District race".Deseret News.RetrievedJune 30,2020.
- ^Yourish, Karen; Buchanan, Larry; Lu, Denise (January 7, 2021)."The 147 Republicans Who Voted to Overturn Election Results".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedJanuary 28,2021.
- ^"4th District Republicans debate economy, COVID-19 ahead of June primary election".UtahPolicy. June 1, 2020.
- ^"Analysis: Burgess Owens flip-flops on support for Obamacare repeal".Salt Lake Tribune.
- ^"Health care, racism divide Rep. Ben McAdams, Burgess Owens in only debate".Deseret News. October 12, 2020.
- ^"Ben McAdams and Burgess Owens Spar on Healthcare Plans In 4th Congressional District Debate".KUER.
- ^"Burgess".The Salt Lake Tribune.
- ^Lai, Stephanie (July 19, 2022)."House Passes Same-Sex Marriage Bill Amid Concern About Court Reversal".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedJuly 19,2022.
- ^"Roll Call 513".Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. December 8, 2022.RetrievedDecember 9,2022.
- ^Migdon, Brooke; Brooks, Emily (August 19, 2022)."Marjorie Taylor Greene introduces bill to make gender-affirming care for transgender youth a felony".The Hill.RetrievedSeptember 22,2022.
- ^"House passes antitrust bill that hikes M&A fees as larger efforts targeting tech have stalled".CNBC.September 29, 2022.
- ^"H.R. 3843: Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022 -- House Vote #460 -- Sep 29, 2022".
- ^abConklin, Audrey (August 26, 2020)."RNC speakers: What to know about Burgess Owens".Fox News.RetrievedAugust 30,2020.
- ^abBerrett, Summur-Rayn (April 15, 2024)."Returning to Mormonism after Falling Away: Summur-Rayn Berrett Pt. 1 | Ep. 1887".Mormon Stories(Interview). Interviewed by John & Margi Dehlin. YouTube.
- ^Raftery, Kay (June 17, 1997)."Pro Football Players Share Their Mormon Faith Ty Detmer, Burgess Owens And Vai Sikahema Told A Packed Sanctuary Of The Role Of Religion In Their Lives".The Philadelphia Inquirer.Archived fromthe originalon March 3, 2016.RetrievedFebruary 6,2021.
- ^"LDS Afro-American Symposium".Ensign.Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.August 1988.RetrievedFebruary 6,2021.
External links
edit
- Representative Burgess Owensofficial U.S. House website
- Campaign website