Setting An Example For Others: Tahj Owens '26

By Craig Sachson
PrincetonTigersFootball.com

Tahj Owens stared down a moment of doubt without blinking. He pushed past his own questions, believed in his work ethic and others' support, and succeeded. Doubt him at your own risk as he does so again.

Owens was an all-everything running back in high school who gained over 2,000 all-purpose yards and scored 20 touchdowns as a senior at Loyola High School. A three-time All-CIF first-team selection, he received plenty of attention from colleges across the country at his natural position.

Princeton saw his strengths best suited in the defensive backfield. It wasn't the only school to show interest in Owens there, but it was the one that caught Owens' attention, as well as that of his family and friends. Several of his biggest supporters stressed the value of combining a Princeton education with the opportunity to play football at the Division I level. He saw the potential, and he believed he could set a path for his two younger brothers as well.

"All the decisions I have made, including the one to come to Princeton, were rooted in the idea of trying to set a good example for my brothers," said Tahj, who also gained a newborn sister over the last year. "I try to be the best version of myself to show them how they should do things in their life as well, whether its school, how they treat people, anything."

The best version of Owens on the football field, at least to that point, had been on the offensive side. He had limited time on the Loyola defense, so he didn't have nearly the same foundation as other incoming freshman defensive players. He suffered a minor injury during his first Princeton preseason camp, so by the time he made it back, his role was limited to the scout team. He didn't gain the defensive experience he felt like he needed, and he started to question whether he would ever get there.

He said as much to head coach Bob Surace, who asked him to stick with it through his first spring. Because of his preseason injury, the coaches never got to truly watch him on defense. Owens may not have fully believed, but he made up for in resolve. He entered unsure, but he exited as a key piece of the defensive backfield. He made 13 tackles in the first five games of the season, and he made 33 in his final five, including 10 in a season-finale win over Penn. The entire experience taught him more than just how to play safety; it provided a roadmap for future challenges.

"I learned that I'm able to like adapt a little bit more than I thought," Owens said. "I could push myself out of my comfort zone. Going to a new position, I knew I'd have to work on it, but I trusted myself and the people that supported me."

Owens went from solid starter to potential All-Ivy player as a junior. He made 64 tackles, including 10 apiece in back-to-back games to end the season. Over the last six weeks, he averaged over 7.6 stops and added three fumble recoveries and two pass breakups. Owens had fully erased the doubt he once had, and he had grown into a leader within a strong, close senior class.

One unfortunate step in the preseason changed much — not all — of that.

A non-contact injury during a pass rush drill prematurely ended Owens' Princeton playing career. He remembers praying with his classmates after the injury, and he was strengthened by the support he received from both family and teammates in the immediate aftermath. He had surgery quickly, and with two years of eligibility remaining, Owens knows his football book still has multiple chapters remaining to be written.

He will face that challenge the way he faced the one as a freshman. He'll work, he'll believe, and he'll conquer. But Owens also knew that he needed to be the best teammate and leader for his Princeton family.

"It still hurts to not be out there, but I'm glad to be able to support my guys," Owens said. "This is a really tight-knit team. We're more than just teammates, we're friends."

The bonds, especially those from the senior class, have helped create a stronger culture within the program. The results haven't gone their way, but the effort over the last five weeks tells a different story than the record. Princeton has outgained each of its last three opponents, including reigning Ivy champion Dartmouth and a Yale team that will play for the Ivy title this weekend, but it has fallen by a field goal in each game.

Owens is the perfect example of what this team wants from its players. Whether you play or not, everybody can impact change.

"Everybody has a voice on the team," Owens said. "We want everybody to have a voice, and we want everybody to hold each other accountable. We built values and standards with everybody's opinions in mind. I think that's why we're so close."

Players like Owens, who give all they can — even if it's not the way they hoped — are critical to changing a program culture.

"I know he had some low points, but Tahj has been a remarkable teammate," Surace said. "If we ever named an all-attitude team around here, he will stand right next to Kurt Holuba '19 at the top of that list. Before the injury, he had turned himself into an important part of our defense. We certainly miss that impact, but he is everything we look for in a teammate,"

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