ˈoʊɪnz wʌz sᵻlˈɛktᵻd baɪ ðə sˌɪnsɪnˈæɾi ɹˈɛdz ɪnðə fˈoːɹθ ɹˈaʊnd ʌvðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti tˈuː ˌɛmˌɛlbˈiː dɹˈæft ˌaʊɾəv fˈɛɹəm kˈɑːlɪdʒ, wˌɛɹ hiː plˈeɪd bˈeɪsbɔːl ænd fˈʊtbɔːl.
Owens was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the fourth round of the 1992 MLB draft out of Ferrum College, where he played baseball and football.