Sunday’s NFL opener produced a special teams moment that had the football world talking, and Texas Tech alum Tyler Owens was right in the middle of it.
Playing for the Washington Commanders in a 24-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Owens powered through a double team on a punt and finished with a violent tackle that looked more like a wrestling move than a football play. He tracked down the returner as he tried to leap over a player on the ground, then slammed him flat onto his back.
The effort was the kind of play that jumps off the screen: speed, strength, and pure chase-down hustle just to get into position, followed by a hit that lit up social media. Owens drew plenty of attention on X afterward, much of it from people who didn’t even know the former Red Raider.
“Holy crap! This has to be one of the best individual highlights I’ve ever sen! https://t.co/9Aww76wxCN
- Adam Archuleta (@AdamArchuleta) September 13, 2026”
“Can you put this video in the HOF pic.twitter.com/RiyPBnvive
- Tone Digs (@ToneDigz) September 13, 2026”
“Tyler Owens. Play of the day. pic.twitter.com/RK3A1dMtSF
- Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) September 13, 2026”
“Maximum effort play by #Commanders gunner Tyler Owens here. Doesn’t get any better than that and a perfect example of why special teams matter so much 🫡🫡 pic.twitter.com/HkShVzRjoZ
- Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) September 13, 2026”
Owens has carved out his NFL life on special teams, and this is the beginning of his third season in the league. That role has kept him on rosters, and it showed again in Philadelphia.
He has started only one game in his career and has 24 total tackles, including 16 solo stops.
At Texas Tech, Owens spent three years at Texas before transferring to Lubbock for his final two college seasons. From 2022-23, he appeared in 22 games for the Red Raiders, finishing with 69 tackles and an interception.
For Texas Tech fans, it was a familiar name making an unfamiliar kind of national splash.
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The broader picture is the one Tech fans should keep watching. The Big 12 has been under the microscope in early nonconference play, sitting at 1-2 against the SEC in recent games and 4-5 against Power 4 teams overall, so every quality win carries extra value. BYUs fast start only sharpens that pressure, especially with Texas Tech still sorting through inconsistency and a possible quarterback competition that could shape how high the Red Raiders can climb once league play settles in. [Read more 🡒]
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The bigger concern was on the other side of the ball, where the secondary showed vulnerabilities that Oregon State was able to expose. Offensively, there was also a sense that Texas Tech could have been more aggressive in its play calling, and that tension between winning comfortably enough and leaving obvious issues behind is the part that will keep drawing attention as the schedule gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech May Be Leaning On One New Pressure Point Vs Houston
Will Hammonds return has given Texas Tech a steadier hand at quarterback than the Red Raiders had been able to count on last season, and it has come at a time when the offense is still trying to find its early-season rhythm. The sophomore, back after a torn ACL, has opened the year as the starter and has already shown enough efficiency to keep the passing game at the center of whatever consistency Tech is trying to build.
Through two starts, Hammond has completed 76.7% of his throws for 487 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception, which helps explain why the aerial attack is becoming such an important part of the conversation. With both sides of the ball still showing some inconsistency, Texas Tech may lean even more heavily on that pressure point when it faces Houston. [Read more 🡒]