South Mountaineer Volume 37, Issue 28

              SPORTS
•The stress associat
school and football
greatly for dealing ■
- Kevin Jefferson *$4 ai
Cincinnati Bengals.
mmm::
En the next
South Mountaineer
♦A complete wrapup of
each sports' recruiting
classes for the coming
year.
SOUTH
Miller Time Again!
Junior shortstop Kim Miller has yet
another piece of hardware to add to
her collection. The nation's third
leading hitter was named to the ECAC
Softball First Team.
MOUNTAINEER
Volume 37, Issue 28 June 1,1995
Owens, K. J. making it to the big time
Rich Owens and Kevin Jefferson look back on the start of their N.F.L. careers
By Glenn Hofmann
Lehigh Sports Information Director
They aren't scheduled to play
against each other this season,
but each would surely welcome
the opportunity. For Rich Owens
and Kevin Jefferson, the road to
the National Football League has
been quite similar. Each player
came to Lehigh as a highly touted,
athletically gifted athlete. Still
most casual fans felt niether had
a very good chance of making it
to the NFL.
Now, Jefferson has completed
his first season as a member of*
the Cincinnati Bengals while
Owens just signed a contract
hich calls for hi:
$119,000, $149,000 and $178,000
in his first three years with the
Washington Redskins. Owens
also received an $86,000 signing
bonus.
How quickly things have
changed for each player.
"It came as a total shock,"
Owens said when asked about his new contract.
"My agent told me the money I would be making,
but I just got the check in the mail the other day
and it really sunk in. It's obviously the most money
I've ever had in my hand at once."
"I guess it was a culture shock," Owens said
when asked about his first and just completed
mini-camp with Washington. "I stepped out onto
the field with people I had been watching on
television. Heath Shuler had his locker on one one
side of me and Jim Lachey was on the other."
"Basically though, once you're on the field it
comes down to playing football. The first day I got
my feet wet," Owens said. "The next day I felt like
I belonged."
(L-R) Kevin Jefferson, Kevin Higgins and Rich Owens. Photo by JOE RYAN
For Jefferson, he has already gone through the
excitement of being signed. Unlike Owens who was
a fifth round draft pick, Jefferson was signed as a
free agent. He made the Cinncinati Bengals last
year as a special teams player.
"It was a learning experience," Owens said
when asked to analyze his first NFL season. "It was
the first situation where I came in and wasn't
expected to do too much. In the first half of the
season it was rough not playing much, but by the
second half of the season it worked out well."
Jefferson became one of the leaders on special
teams by the end of the season. Twice he earned
"Tackle of the Week" honors.
"Special Teams is just hustle," Jefferson said. "I
think I showed that I can play. Hopefully I can build on that."
Jefferson and Owens were both
on campus last week. They have
been in touch with each other the
last few weeks with KJ ofering tips
and advice to Owens.
"I told Rich about some of the
expectations the veterans have of
the rookies," Jefferson said. "I had
to sing songs in front of the whole
group, carry their bags and take
them out to dinner. As a whole I was
treated very well."
Owens says one of the biggest
changes for him was in the area of
media.
is always media," Owens said. "Our
J last day of double sessions there
were more than 200 media members at practice. It's incredible. You
take a shower and then got mobbed
by photographers and reporters on
your way out."
And although each player has
been away from Lehigh for a very short time, each
made it a point to say how much their experience
has helped them so far.
"The stress associated with balancing school
and football at Lehigh prepared me greatly for life
in the NFL," Jefferson said. "Every practice you are
evaluated because you aren't guaranteed of being
there for four years. You could only be there for one
day, so it's very intense."
And while Jefferson has gone through his initial season Owens is still in the process of trying to
make the team. But he is confident.
"I personally have always felt that Lehigh and
the Division I-AA level is a solid level of football,"
Owens said. "Without a doubt I can make it."
1995 Patriot League Football
1995 Lehigh
1995 Patriot League Football
Preseason Coaches Poll
Football Schedule
Preseason Coaches Poll
1.   Lafayette (4)          24
Sept. 9
at Army                         1:30
1.   LEHIGH (4)           24
2.   LEHIGH (1)           20
Sept. 16
at Colgate*
2.   Lafayette (2)           20
3.   Holy Cross (1)        17
Sept. 23
YALE                           1:00
3.   Bucknell                 15
4.   Bucknell                 12
(Volunteer Day)
4.   Holy Cross              14
5.   Colgate                   11
Sept. 30
NEW HAMPSHIRE     1:00
5.   Colgate                   12
6.   Fordham                 6
(Youth Activity Day)
6.   Fordham                5
Oct. 7
at Bucknell*                 1:00
Preseason MVP:                      Rich Lemon,
Oct. 14
at Columbia                  1:00
Preseason MVP:                       Rich Lemon,
Bucknell
Oct. 21
CORNELL                     1:00
(Freshman Parent's Weekend)
Bucknell
Offensive Player-of-the-year:  Bob Aylsworth,
Oct. 28
at Massachusetts         1:00
Offensive Player-of-the-Year: Rich Lemon,
Lehigh
Nov. 4
atFordham*                 1:00
Bucknell
Nov. 11
HOLY CROSS*           1:00
Defensive Player-of-the-Year: Rawle Howard,
(Upperclass Parent's Weekend)
Defensive Player-of-the-Year: Rawle Howard,
Lafayette
Nov. 18
LAFAYETTE*              1:00
Lafayette