Owen Cowherd, Jr., professionally known as ‘Mr. Testimony,’ was born and raised in Indianapolis, IN.

Shortly before Owen was born, his father was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder which limited his ability to help with Owen’s upbringing. Owen and his mother, Lee Morris, lived in Orchard Park Apartments on the city’s Eastside, a place known for high crime, gang activity, drug abuse, and few success stories.

Despite their surroundings, Ms. Morris worked to provide Owen with food, clothing, a stable home, and a religious upbringing. The family would often attend church services on Sunday, but religion was not something Ms. Morris wanted to force upon Owen. At the age of thirteen she allowed him the option of choosing whether or not he would continue to attend church services. He did not.

Owen did, however, begin to excel in school, particularly in sports. As a youngster, he attended Coleman Elementary and Middle School, located just a short walk from where he lived. In 1996, Owen became a freshman at Broad Ripple High School and joined the basketball team. His special talents and skills for the game were revealed almost immediately, and Owen went on to play all four years on the varsity basketball team, eventually leading the city in scoring with an average of eighteen points per game.

Upon graduation, Owen tried out and earned a basketball scholarship at Glen Oaks Junior College in Centerville, Michigan. But, having never been away from home for an extended period of time, Owen became homesick in the strange and unfriendly environment and returned to Indianapolis after just three weeks on campus. And, as with most success stories… a little rain must fall.