Signing of a Pearl: El Campo's Rueben Owens aims to shine in Aggieland

EL CAMPO, Texas — More than a century ago, El Campo — a farming community of about 13,000 in Wharton County — was known as the “Pearl of the Prairie.”

Cowboys bestowed that nickname because when approaching El Campo at night, lights from the section house of the Houston-Victoria Railroad shined like a pearl.

In the past few years, the lights of Ricebird Stadium must have resembled a cultured necklace to cowboys, farmers, businessmen, college scouts and just plain old football fans who descended upon El Campo to watch Rueben Owens‍, a gem of a running back, shine on Friday nights.

“They’ve always come to see the Ricebirds,” said Bob Nason, who has served as sports director of local radio station KULP for more than 30 years and has called El Campo games since 1995. “But it got pretty electric, especially in 2021. People were there to see him. Those who hadn’t seen him play before were just amazed.

“What was really noticeable was the out-of-town presence.”

Owens routinely left El Campo Ricebirds fans dazzled and opposing defenses frazzled. In four high school seasons, he rushed for 7,059 yards and scored 105 touchdowns.

Walker Lott, TexAgs

In a varsity career that spanned four seasons, Rueben Owens’ powerful running style racked up 7,059 rushing yards with 105 touchdowns.

As a freshman in 2019, Owens had a spectacular 40-yard touchdown run in an August scrimmage against Sealy. A few days later, he said he received a scholarship offer from Arkansas.

Two years later, Owens’ recruiting letters could’ve filled the nearby towering rice silos. In a sensational junior season, Owens rushed for 2,989 yards and scored 29 touchdowns and was well on his way to eclipsing 7,000 yards in his high school career.

Seemingly every college football program coveted the 6-foot, 195-pound speedster, who bounced off tacklers like a pinball caroming off bumpers.

Owens’ dad, Rueben Sr., always believed his son was destined for greatness. Also an athlete, he played basketball at Mary Hardin-Baylor but steered his son away from the court.

“He’s too little. He’s too small,” Rueben Sr. said. “You’ve got to be 6-foot-6 or 6-foot-7 these days. Or shoot like Steph Curry. He don’t do that, but he can run the football like Walter Payton and Barry Sanders.”

Comparisons to legendary NFL running backs would seem hyperbolic, but recruiting services were convinced.

Owens was dubbed a five-star recruit. Depending on the recruiting service, he was rated the No. 1 or No. 2 running back prospect in the nation. College coaches from all across the country found their way to the Coastal Prairie to court Owens.

“Rueben’s gotten El Campo’s name out there,” El Campo coach Chad Worrell said. “A lot of people know where El Campo is now because of Rueben.”

Coaches at the University of Louisville certainly knew where El Campo was.

University of Louisville coach Scott Satterfield diligently recruited Owens. His work appeared to pay off when Owens verbally committed to Louisville on June 20.

But Owens was too attractive a prize to give up on. Despite the commitment, dozens of big-time programs — particularly Texas A&M — continued to court Owens.

“When I committed, they (A&M coaches) told me they weren’t backing off until signing day,” Owens said. “That’s what they did. I respect that.”

Then A&M got a break.

Satterfield accepted the head coach position at Cincinnati on Dec. 5. The next morning, A&M coach Jimbo Fisher trekked to El Campo High School to visit Owens.

On Dec. 7, Owens committed to Texas A&M. On Wednesday — Early National Signing Day — Owens made it official and signed a letter of intent with A&M.

“Rueben is phenomenal,” Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said. “He can catch it. He can run it. He can go play wideout just as well as he plays running back for the matchups. He can run out of the backfield … has great speed. Tremendous athlete.”

That signing was celebrated in El Campo, a farming community that is home to thousands of Aggies.

“I think everybody breathed a collective sigh once that change happened,” Worrell said. “They were going to support Rueben no matter where he went. Now that he’s going down the road, it makes it a lot easier.”

In truth, those Aggies really didn’t need to worry. Even before Satterfield left Louisville, Owens’ heart was with Texas A&M.

“I probably still would have flipped (anyway),” Owens said. “I would have flipped.”

He envisions a career at A&M that would make Aggies fans flip out.

“I want to win the Doak Walker (award),” Owens said. “I want to win All-American my freshman year, and I want to win the Heisman Trophy.”

Obviously, Owens' goal is to shine as bright as the lights of the Pearl of the Prairie.