Tuesday, Jun 19, 2012 02:44 AM

R.C. 'Alley Oop' Owens was longtime Niners executive, WR

SAN FRANCISCO -- R.C. Owens, a longtime 49ers front office man and eight-year NFL wide receiver whose impressive leaping ability earned him the nickname "Alley Oop" and helped popularize the basketball phrase, died Sunday at age 77.

The Niners, his team for the first five of his NFL seasons, announced Owens' death on Monday. The team said he died Sunday and had been living in Manteca, about 75 miles east of San Francisco.

"The 49ers family has suffered a great loss with the passing of R.C. Owens," 49ers Owner and Chairman John York said. "Long after his days as a player were over, his devotion to the organization remained strong. R.C. was an ever-present supporter of the 49ers Foundation and did great works with the community at large. The San Francisco 49ers and our faithful fans will forever be grateful for his contributions and he will be sincerely missed."

The 6-foot-3 Owens, a college basketball star at the College of Idaho, also played two seasons for the Baltimore Colts, and his final year was with the New York Giants in 1964. He had 206 career receptions for 3,285 yards and 22 touchdowns.

After retirement, Owens worked from 1979-2001 for the 49ers in a variety of positions, including director of training camp and director of alumni relations. The 49ers said he loved his role of entertaining and caring for players' families while the players practiced.