Simone Biles's Husband Jonathan Owens Got Time Off from NFL Training Camp to Go to the Olympics
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Simone Biles is one of the biggest—if not the biggest star—at this year's summer Olympics, and her husband, Jonathan Owens, will be in the stands to cheer her on as she looks to add to her gold medal collection.
Owens, who plays for the Chicago Bears, is taking a few days off from his mandatory training camp to be in France to support his wife and Team USA gymnastics. "The Bears are actually granting him a couple days off from training camp, so he'll be there, yes," Biles told USA Today. She added, "Anytime we can show up for one another in support, we just get super excited because our schedules don't align that much. So whenever it does, it's really important for the both of us to show up in support."
Of letting Owens go to Paris, Bears coach Matt Eberflus said it's "because we respect the Olympics; that's a big deal. And he's just supporting the one he loves the most. I think that's so cool that he gets to do that. We welcome that and it's going to be awesome. Go USA." Owens has excused absences July 29 through August 3, and will be back in training camp on August 4.
This will be Owens's first Olympics; in 2021, at the postponed Tokyo Olympics, no spectators were allowed, and in 2016, he had yet to meet his wife.
Curious to learn more about Simone Biles's husband? Here's five facts you need to know about Jonathan Owens:
1. Owens was born and raised in St. Louis.
He attended Christian Brothers College High School in suburban St. Louis. After not receiving any Division I scholarship offers to play college football, he decided to play at Missouri Western State, a Division II school.
2. He wasn't initially drafted into the NFL.
Though he didn't get drafted, an hour after the draft ended, he signed with the Arizona Cardinals. He missed his rookie year with an injury, and since, he's played for the Houston Texans, the Green Bay Packers, and now, he's on the Chicago Bears. As of this writing, Owens has appeared in 48 NFL games with 30 starts over five seasons.
3. He met Simone Biles over social media in 2020.
Owens and Biles connected online just before the pandemic began, in March 2020. Owens, famously, didn't know who Biles was. "I just hadn’t heard of her, and when I told her that, that’s one of the things she liked," he recalled to Texas Monthly.
"We ended up hanging out right before the pandemic," he shared. "It was one of the few times in her life where everything was just shut off and she couldn’t do anything. So we used it to get to know each other—really get to know each other. It created our bond and made it stronger. Now I’m so thankful."
They got engaged in 2022, and married in May 2023.
4. He faced backlash for comments about their marriage.
In December 2023, Owens and Biles appeared on The Pivot podcast, where Owens said he was "the catch" in their relationship.
Biles was quick to defend her husband, saying on Call Her Daddy, "Whenever he did that interview, I thought everything was OK. And then I go on Twitter, and everybody's like, 'Divorce this man, he's mean.' I'm like, he's the sweetest. He praises the ground that I walk on. Truly, I've never met a man like him." She added, "He never said I wasn't a catch. He said he was a catch because he is. I've never met a man like him. A lot of people that meet him are like, 'Oh my gosh, I want a man like that.'"
Owens said of the brouhaha, "I don't mean to cuss, but like, damned if you do, damned if you don't. If you say something, they're going to say something; if you don't say something, they're going to say something. So, just live your life. People are going to talk about you anyway, so you might as well do it the way you want to."
5. He's on Instagram @jowens.
In Biles's Instagram bio, Owens's handle is the first line, with a ring emoji. His pinned Instagram pictures are all photos from their wedding, and he is gushing in his adoration of Biles on his social media. When she made the 2024 Olympic team, he wrote, "No words can describe how proud of you i am baby 🤎 Just knowing all the work that you put in and everything that you’ve been through, and to still come back and be as dominant as ever, i was speechless. I’m so thankful to be apart of this journey with you, and i cant wait to be able to watch you out there in Paris. I’m so happy for you babe!!!! 🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷 Cheers to going to your third Olympic Games!!!!!! Just sounds so surreal being able to say my wife is the best to EVER do it, how did i get so lucky 😌 I love you so much 🤞🏽🤞🏽"
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