James Owens became Auburn’s first black football player in 1969, one year after Henry Harris broke the color barrier for the basketball team.
Though Owens passed away in March at the age of 65, his legacy at Auburn will continue this season with his grandson, James Owens Moss.
Moss, a walk-on wide receiver, will attempt to earn his place with the Tigers beginning this fall.
The 5-foot-9, 177-pound freshman had a great high school career, amassing 1,138 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior at Opelika High School in Alabama.
His high school coach, Brian Blackmon, told AL.com that Moss has always felt a special connection to Auburn:
“I know that Auburn University has been important to that family,” Opelika head coach Brian Blackmon said. “I think a lot of those kinds of things factored into that decision. I know that that was a special relationship between him and his grandad.”
Though Moss wasn’t heavily recruited out of high school, Blackmon said he’s glad to see his star receiver getting a chance to catch on with a top college program:
“I think it’s kind of a fitting honor for James to be able to at least have an opportunity to go in there and try to carry on that legacy,” Blackmon said.
Moss’s cousin, LaDarius Owens, was a defensive lineman for the Tigers from 2010-14.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
