Argonauts.ca Staff

WINNIPEG – During the 3rd quarter of tonight’s game at Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg Toronto Argonauts’ WR/KR Chad Owens became the first person in professional football history to amass at least 3,000 Combined Yards in three different seasons.

Building upon his past two all-star campaigns, the Flyin’ Hawaiian has been able to assemble back-to-back-to-back 3,000-yard seasons and is now on pace for an unprecedented total of more than 4,000 Combined Yards in 2012. He entered tonight’s game needing just 85 combined yards to hit 3,000 on the year.

A week ago, Owens became the first CFL player to catch for 1,000 yards in 2012. Already this year Owens has set a new club record for combined yards in a single game (402 yards, Sept. 3/12 at HAM), third-highest total in CFL history, and is on pace to break league and team records for Most Combined Yards in a season (3,840 by Michael Clemons in 1997), and Most Kickoff Return Yards in a single season (CFL - 1,805 by Ian Smart, BC, 2008; Argos – 1,750 by Chad Owens, 2011), as well as club records for Most Total Kick Return Yards in a season (2,701 by Chad Owens in 2011). He’s already established single-season personal career-highs for receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, and is among the CFL leaders in receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, punt return yards, punt return average, kickoff return yards and kickoff return average.

In 2011, Owens became the second player ever (Michael Clemons in 1990 & 1997) to experience two campaigns with at least 3,000 combined yards, and the first player ever to do it in back to back seasons. He is now on pace for an all-time record of more than 4,000 combined yards in a single season – something no professional football player has ever achieved. He is also poised to become the first player in history to lead the CFL in receiving yards and kick return yards.