Scott James got used to seeing Wande Owens quite quickly. Owens was a graduate student, joining the University of New Hampshire football team as a safety after four years at Yale University. James had recently joined the UNH staff as an associate head coach and defensive coordinator.
Owens was an accustomed sight around noon at James’ office door.
“Every day, every day,” James said. “Like, I want to go eat lunch. I want to work out. He’s at my door. He just (would) poke his head around the corner with a little smirk on his face, and I’m like, ‘Come on, man.’ But like, here he is. All he’s asking for is what you, as a coach, want.”
Buffalo Bills Rookie Minicamp (copy)
Defensive backs Wande Owens, left, and Flip Dixon run through a drill during rookie minicamp on Friday. Joshua Bessex, Buffalo News
Owens made impressions around his new program very, very quickly.
“He broke decades-long strength records in three months at New Hampshire,” James said.
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James was adamant that if New Hampshire had voted on captains at a slightly later time, the newcomer Owens would have easily been selected.
“He’s the type of person you want to build your team around,” James said.
And James was happy to share that insight into the versatile Owens when NFL teams came calling.
“I said that to any, every NFL person that reached out – and almost every team did – I said, ‘There is no chance that he doesn’t make your team better,’ ” James said.
“I don’t know what you do with him. I don’t know where you put him. (But) there’s zero chance he doesn’t make the team better. He’s going to adapt to whatever you ask him to do. He’s going to work exceptionally hard at it, and he’s going to do so to the best of his ability, and his ability is pretty special,” he added.
Now, Owens is getting that chance to prove himself and his abilities with the Buffalo Bills.
Buffalo Bills Rookie Minicamp
Defensive back Wande Owens warms up during rookie minicamp on Friday. Joshua Bessex, Buffalo News
Owens was one of 12 undrafted rookie free agents that the Bills agreed to terms with once the draft was over. He officially signed with the team Friday, ahead of rookie minicamp.
At the two-day camp last week, Owens was aiming to showcase his talents to the Bills staff.
“Really, my tenacity, run to the ball,” Owens said. “Knowing a lot, being able to handle a lot on my palette, know all the defense and all the calls and whatnot.”
Owens played cornerback at Yale, before switching to safety at UNH. In four years at Yale, he appeared in 29 games and logged 165 tackles. At UNH, he had 111 tackles in just 13 games. Seeing the field from a different perspective helped Owens better understand his role, but also the defensive plan, as a whole.
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“The big thing is tempo,” Owens said of the switch. “The tempo at each spot is different. You know, it might be similar pictures, but you’re getting a different angle from it. So, from the safety, I’m seeing a little, but I’m also seeing a lot with more, like, a broad point of view.”
He didn’t find the position change to be overly difficult.
“Not really, because I was playing outside in the corner,” Owens said. “I found myself in the run fit often, making some tackles. So, moving to safety, I felt like was natural.”
His competitive nature comes in part from his family. Growing up in Maryland, Owens has four brothers and one sister. He is the fourth of the six kids.
“Growing up in a competitive household, everyone’s trying to best each other,” Owens said.
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“It was exciting – finally got out there (to) get some action,” Hairston said. “It was a lot, just adjusting from the college game to this, but I enjoyed myself. A lot to work on, but just so good to get my feet wet again.”
Then, at Yale, a close-knit team helped Owens keep his eyes on the bigger goal of winning.
Owens was a captain at Yale, and as a senior, he was awarded the team’s Ryan LoProto Award for “his passion, competitive spirit, and leadership in the defensive secondary,” per Yale. In Buffalo, Owens joins another former member of the Yale Bulldogs, tight end Jackson Hawes, whom the Bills selected in the fifth round.
When Owens got his chance with the Bills, his coaches at Yale were quick to celebrate, as well.
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“This opportunity is a direct result of his hard work and determination,” Yale head coach Tony Reno told the Yale athletics website. “Wande is an exceptional player and an outstanding leader. The Buffalo Bills are getting a great one.”
James echoed that sentiment. Even in Owens’ short time at UNH, he proved he could lead a team by example. James believes he can do the same in Buffalo, given the way Owens’ personality matches the gritty history of the Bills.
“If you were to narrate a story of a person you would want to carry that mantle, and it faded from black to an image of a person, it would be Wande,” James said.
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