Former Niner receiver R.C. Owens passed away yesterday at the age of 78. Of course, everybody knew him by his nickname, "Alley Oop," thanks to the passes that he would haul in from Y.A. Tittle on the play of the same name.
He was a fixture on the sidelines while he worked for the team during the their Super Bowl heyday in the 80s - you can see him celebrating with the players and coaches on the TV broadcast following Dwight Clark's catch in the '81 NFC Championship game.
I'm too young to remember Owens as a player, but he was always happy to greet fans with a smile and represent the team at various functions during his tenure as a community ambassador.
My favorite memory of R.C. was when he was identified on the sidelines during a Monday Night Football broadcast by Frank Gifford. At the time, R.C. had put on a few pounds and was sporting a good-sized boiler, leading Don Meredith to quip "looks like the Oop's gone out of his Alley." That always cracked me up, for some reason.
Rest in peace, R.C. - and thanks for the memories.
No comments:
Post a Comment