When Texas held it's first preseason scrimmage Saturday, players were largely shielded from major public criticism because most fans couldn't catch the game. That wasn't true for freshman quarterback Trey Owens, because the critique he faced came directly from his own house.
Owens, a freshman and third-string quarterback from Cy Fair (Texas), looked impressive during the team's Orange-White spring practice scrimmage. He's continued getting reps in preseason training, and on Saturday received scrimmage snaps, which led to at least one interception. Better in a scrimmage than a real game, right?
Yes, though apparently that distinction wasn't wholly endorsed by Owens' own father, Joe Owens, who took to Twitter to out his son's mistake ... and then double-down on his criticism in a direct interaction with his Trey.
Graham Gillespie picked off Trey
— Joe Owens (@JoeOwens78) August 10, 2024
Aye dad let’s chill
— Trey Owens (@TreyOwensQB) August 10, 2024
😂don’t like it? Don’t throw em!
— Joe Owens (@JoeOwens78) August 10, 2024
To be fair, the elder Owens' emoji choice seems to intimate that the entire exchange was all in good fun. Still. the idea that a father would take his son to task so publicly, let alone after his first quasi-competitive action of his first real season in college, is pretty remarkable.
It would also seem to indicate just how high the bar has been set for Owens by his family -- and perhaps by himself -- even as he prepares for an anticipated first season spent on the bench can only bode well for his future in an environment as competitive as the one he'll encounter in Austin.