R.C. Owens

Raleigh Climon Owens revolutionized professional football by inventing the "Alley Oop" pass play, transferring his extraordinary basketball leaping ability to the gridiron and introducing a term that later became synonymous with spectacular aerial plays across all sports. Born November 12, 1934 in Shreveport, Louisiana, Owens moved with his family to California, graduating from Santa Monica High School before attending College of Idaho where his roommate and teammate was future NBA legend Elgin Baylor. Standing only 6-foot-3, Owens possessed long arms and phenomenal jumping ability, averaging nearly 28 rebounds per game as a college sophomore and once receiving a contract offer from basketball's Minneapolis Lakers. He also played amateur basketball with the Seattle-based Buchan Bakers after their national championship season.

Selected in the 14th round (160th overall) of the 1956 NFL draft by San Francisco 49ers, Owens quickly gained recognition for his unique receiving skills. The Al...