Owu-who? Yes, to the casual fan of the New York Jets, you may not know who we are even ‘spotlighting’ here. But Chris Owusu is definitely a name to watch out for. Owusu entered the league in 2012 as an undrafted free agent and then signed on with the San Francisco 49ers. He has also played for the San Diego Chargers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. So far in Owusu’s short NFL career, he’s had a couple chances to make an impact. But in the NFL for the lower-tier guys, it’s all about opportunity.
Owusu’s came to the Jets December 4, 2014 after Greg Salas was placed on injured reserve. And boy did Owusu make the most of his limited opportunity. TJ Brennan, reporter for NewYorkJets.com, shared his thoughts on Owusu’s breakout performance:
The third-year WR, who is familiar with the state of Florida after spending time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, had a career day against the Dolphins. He had one catch for 36 yards, one rush for a 23-yard TD and two kickoff returns, one for 87 yards — our longest return of the season — to open the second half. He finished with 161 all-purpose yards on 33 plays, both season highs.
It’s not going to be easy this year for Owusu to make the team. The receiving core for the Jets is deep including veterans: Eric Decker, Brandon Marshall, Jeremy Kerley, Devin Smith (rookie), and a collection of first and second year players. He’ll be fighting for that fifth or sixth spot even if there is a sixth spot. Though one thing that will help him is his freakish athleticism displayed here via Owusu’s official Instagram:
A video posted by Chris Owusu (@cowusu17) on Mar 8, 2015 at 2:45pm PDT
With a vertical leap like that and his tremendous regular season finale, Owusu could be well on his way to making his NFL dream come true for good here with the Jets. Keep an eye on him since he’s in a position to surprise many heading into training camps.
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