'I don't believe in space:' Texas Tech DB Tyler Owens makes bold statement at NFL combine

Earth to Tyler Owens.

The Texas Tech defensive back dropped a meteor at the NFL combine this week and he hasn't even run the 40-yard dash yet.

Owens told media members on Thursday that he doesn't believe in space. No, not that he isn't a fan of the Taylor Swift song. But that he actually doesn't think planets and stars and galaxies exist.

"I don't believe in space," Owens said in a video posted on X by Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski. "I'm real religious, so I think we're alone right now. I don't think there's other planets and other stuff like that."

The NFL hopeful said going down the black hole of theories from the likes of NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving and multiplatinum rapper B.o.B that the earth is flat had him rethink what he'd been taught. The celebrities deny the theory that the earth revolves around the sun, which was proposed by ancient Greek astronomers and further established by Renaissance scientist Nicolaus Copernicus. Italian philosopher Galileo Galilei essentially confirmed the theory with his use of telescopes and stood trial before the Roman Catholic Church for his beliefs, which are now considered scientific fact.

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"I thought I used to believe in the heliocentric thing where we used to revolve around the sun and stuff," Owens continued with a smile on his face. "But then I started seeing flat earth stuff and I was like, this is kind of interesting. They started bringing up valid points, so I mean I don't know, could be real, couldn't be."

After three seasons at Texas, Owens felt the gravitational pull to Texas Tech, where he played two seasons. He was considered a super senior last year for utilizing an extra season due to the 2020 pandemic. Last year, he had 37 tackles, including 10 against Houston.

In making their decision to draft him, NFL teams will have to let his talent eclipse his unconventional beliefs.