The Colony senior pulls double duty as football captain, head drum major

Under Friday night lights at The Colony High School, Kyler Owens is leading in more ways than one.

The senior student is the captain of the football team and the head drum major of the school's marching band.

"I always knew that I wanted to be on that field," Owens said. "I wanted to be somebody that was on that field and taking charge."

At each halftime, as his teammates head to the locker room to catch their breath, Owens stays on the field. He trades his football gloves for white conducting gloves and leads the band, still in cleats and full pads. 

Those two jobs leave Owens with little time to spare on game nights.

"I let him make the schedule," head football coach Rudy Rangel said. "He's such a trustworthy kid. It's probably the first guy I've ever done that with. It's like Kyler, you tell me, man, you lead me on."

For Owens, the idea started years earlier.

Michael Larkin, director of bands at The Colony High School, remembers him talking about the possibility as a freshman.

"He spoke the words," Larkin recalled. "He said, 'Man, it would be a dream to be conducting the band in football pads.'"

"This is a very, very rare occasion where somebody is able to hold down such a high leadership position, really in both activities, and be successful," Larkin said.

Owens plays outside linebacker and says his responsibilities on defense aren't all that different from what he does when he steps onto the podium.

"I make sure everybody's communicating, I make sure everybody's where they're at," Owens said. "And then I transition to the podium, and I make sure the same goes for band."

The balancing act extends well beyond Friday nights.

Owens said his days usually start around 5 a.m. with practice before he heads back to school for classes, then band rehearsal most evenings until after 8 p.m.

Owens' coaches say what stands out isn't simply how much he does, but the way he approaches both roles.

"To watch him command respect and do those things on the football field in both areas is unique," Rangel said. "I don't think there's a thing that kid can't accomplish."

Owens is less concerned with the titles.

"I just like doing my job," he said. "I don't have to make the big plays. I like seeing other people make big plays. If I've got to do the dirty work, I'll do the dirty work- Anything for the team effort."

And he's already thinking about where that work ethic could take him next.

Owens hopes to study aerospace engineering at the U.S. Naval Academy, with a goal of one day flying fighter jets.