In a candid conversation with Fox 32 Chicago, back in early 2024, Jonathan Owens opened up about a heartbreaking turning point in his life. Now, a safety for the Chicago Bears and husband to gymnastics legend Simone Biles, Owens definitely was not born with a silver spoon. Growing up in a working-class St. Louis neighborhood, he faced a defining blow before his senior year at Christian Brothers College High School.
“My dad was s— and k—– in on robbery… going into my senior year,” he admitted with painful honesty. An incident that would shatter anybody. But rather than spiral into despair, Owens transformed his grief into a fierce, undistracted focus.
That moment, as devastating as it was, sparked something deeper. Owens wasn’t just playing football anymore, he was playing for something bigger. “I just wanted to make sure my mom and them were straight,” he said, reflecting on how that trauma turned into his driving force. Those tears, that pain, how did they forge an NFL star?
Years later, in a raw and powerful 2025 Undrafted Ep 01 dropped on his YouTube channel, the Chicago Bears safety and husband of Olympic icon Simone Biles took viewers back to the gritty roots of his NFL dream. He painted a vivid picture of the nights his father would test him under the lone glow of a streetlight. “You know what my dad used to do to me, bro? It used to be night time, bro. He throwing bullets at me, bro. Like, catch it. And I’m crying,” Owens recalled. “All we had was a street light, bro… I got tired of that [] hitting me in the face.”
Credit : Simone Biles Instagram
This wasn’t some storybook training session, it was survival, repetition, and pain. But it was also resilience, slowly building with each football that didn’t bounce off his face. Owens continued, “He used to throw bullets to me, bro, in the dark, bro. Like it’s dark outside. All we have is the street lights… I just start getting it.”
That fire led the undrafted free agent to claw his way into the NFL. From humble beginnings in St. Louis to becoming a respected professional athlete, Owens built a career brick by brick, pain by pain, rep by rep.
But what truly made him keep going under that flickering streetlight? And who was always on Owens’ side? Any guesses?
Simone Biles supported Jonathan Owens through his journey
Well, Simone Biles, the gymnastics GOAT, isn’t just flipping on the mat, she’s been a rock for her husband, Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens, through his gritty NFL climb. In 2020, when they met on Raya, Biles slid into his DMs, sparking a love story that’s as real as it gets. “He would say I slid into his DMs,” Biles told WSJ. Magazine, laughing about their start. As Owens grinded as an undrafted free agent from Missouri Western, Biles was there, cheering from Houston to Green Bay. How did she keep him grounded?
When Owens signed with the Packers in 2023, Biles was at Lambeau Field, posting, “I’m so proud of you,” after his 84-tackle season. Her support wasn’t just sideline vibes, she celebrated his resilience, like when he navigated a tough 2021 season with the Texans while she faced her own “twisties” battle. “I was sick for her,” Owens said, but Biles’ strength inspired him back. How did their bond shine in big moments?
At the 2025 ESPYs, Biles glowed in a Zac Posen gown, and Owens fixed her dress, a small gesture showing their teamwork. Biles’ Instagram birthday tribute, “Thanks for being the calm to my storm!”, says it all. What’s next for this power couple?
The post “Only Had a Streetlight”: Simone Biles’ Husband Jonathan Owens Recalls NFL-Shaping Memory of Father appeared first on EssentiallySports.