UTSA Quarterback Addresses Controversial Message
Owen McCown, the quarterback for UTSA, downplayed the significance of a message he received from former Memphis player Tahj Ra-El, which allegedly included elements of the Tigers’ playbook.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, McCown denied sharing any details with his teammates or coaches, claiming that the initial report from TigersportsReport misrepresented the situation. “For some reason, suddenly,” McCown said, “they sent me some completely irrelevant images. I never do that, so it was completely irrelevant. The bottom line is that that’s not how we handle things.”
Interestingly, McCown and Ra-El were once teammates at Myers Park High School in Charlotte.
UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor also stated that McCown hadn’t disclosed any information to him regarding this matter.
Traylor recounted, “The moment I found out, I called Owen. He told me, ‘He was my high school mate and he randomly texted me some things.'” He emphasized his confidence in McCown, saying, “I’m in the quarterback room with Owen every day. I know he didn’t know anything about this.” Traylor then contacted Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield, who agreed that it wasn’t a significant issue.
Ra-El had sent his message on November 2nd, just before a game between UTSA and Memphis, stating, “That’s all the signals,” along with a playsheet.
According to the report, Ra-El was let go from the Memphis team in October and did not comment on the situation, as he is currently with Purdue.
Purdue’s coaching staff issued a statement asserting that they felt the incident was mischaracterized, declaring there was no cause for concern moving forward.
Silverfield mentioned that he became aware of the incident shortly after the game in question. “There were some rumors about our playbook being shared by former players who were no longer part of our program,” he noted.
He added, “If we were as disappointed about not winning a football game, the situation had nothing to do with it, and we have to keep moving forward.” He acknowledged the challenges of maintaining player access to playbooks, especially when players leave mid-season.
