Friday is the big day for the defensive backs attending the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, with measurements and on-field drills on tap for some of the speediest players in the draft.
All the cornerbacks and safeties need to get through Thursday is media availability. How hard could that be? For the agent of Texas Tech safety Tyler Owens, that could turn out to be a loaded question.
Owens made the most of — or the least of — that time with the media, explaining that he doesn't believe outer space is real.
"I don't believe in space. I don't think there's, like, other planets and stuff like that," Owens said, claiming that he believes we're on our own on Earth.
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Asked what led him to believe space isn't real, Owens gave a predictable answer to follow up his totally unpredictable comments.
"I started seeing, like, flat earth stuff, and I was like, 'this is kind of interesting,' and then they started bringing up valid points," Owens explained. "Could be real or it couldn't be, you know what I'm saying?"
“I don’t believe in space. I don’t think there’s, like, other planets and stuff like that.”
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) February 29, 2024
Texas Tech safety Tyler Owens had some…thoughts to get off his chest at the NFL Combine 😂
🎥: @brentsobleski
pic.twitter.com/fVCFXxspoG
Tyler Owens 40 time at NFL Combine
Owens isn't expected to be selected high in April's draft, but he could be in line for a high-profile combine performance. Owens is among the fastest players in the 2024 draft class, with a projected 4.30 40-yard dash Friday.
Media availability is typically viewed as a layup even for some of the more unpolished draft prospects. Unless off-field issues are an area of concern, there just isn't much a prospect can say publicly that would raise a red flag.
Whether Owens' comments raise a red flag is up to the 32 NFL teams, but they certainly raised a few eyebrows when the focus should have been on the next position groups taking the field.