Hope’s Hero

Owens cannot get a new heart, or even on the list as a candidate. He undergoes weeks of tests in Birmingham and then is ruled out because of neuropathy. He also undergoes tests to Emory Hospital and is ruled out for diabetes. If Auburn alumni try to intercede for him, it does no good. But once Owens's critical condition reaches the media in mid-2012, Auburn University—at the urging of his teammates—swings into action. The athletic department establishes the James Owens Courage Award, to be presented annually to a current or former football who has shown indomitable courage in adversity. Teammates and friends participate in the taping of Quiet Courage , a documentary on Owens's life that will air on Alabama Public Television. And in December 2012, the university gives Owens its honorary bachelor's degree ever. “A journey that started forty-three years ago has now come to a completion,” he says that day. “Thank you for receiving James Owens in 1969 and giving me this honor in 2012. God bless, God keep, and War Eagle.”