As Olympic enthusiasts prepare to witness Simone Biles extend her impressive gold medal tally, her husband, Jonathan Owens, has arranged to be there in person as part of his negotiations with the Chicago Bears.
Owens, a former safety for the Green Bay Packers, signed with the Bears as a free agent in March. During the negotiations, it was arranged for him to take time off from training camp to support Biles, according to Yahoo! Sports.
On Thursday, July 25, Owens discussed the arrangement after the Bears’ training camp practice. “Obviously the Olympics were coming up and you know who my wife is,” Owens, 29, said. “It was all respectful. We went to them and asked, ‘We’d really appreciate if he could go to support his wife.’”
“I can’t wait to be able to support her,” he continued. “It’s the person you love most, man, and you see them out there in a position where someone could get hurt and you care.
I’m just holding my breath and I have my little piece of paper right there ready calculating everything so I can’t wait.”
Owens added, “It’s always super nerve-wracking.” Owens is scheduled to leave for Paris on Monday, July 29.
He will arrive in time to watch Biles, 27, compete in the women’s gymnastics team finals on Tuesday, followed by the women’s all-around finals on August 1.
During a press conference with reporters on Monday, July 22, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus explained the reason for allowing Owens to travel to France to support Biles, who is making her anticipated return to the Summer Games.
“Just because we respect the Olympics,” Eberflus, 54, said, according to ESPN. “That is a big deal. And he’s just supporting the one he loves the most. And I think that’s so cool that he gets to do that.”
He added: “We welcome that, and it’s going to be awesome. Go USA.”
Earlier this month, Owens told about his excitement for watching Biles compete in Paris, which will be his first visit to the French capital.
“It’s super exciting just because I get a chance to see all the work that she puts in prior to, and you know what? Everything she goes through and dealing with the media and everything, and she still goes out there and does it,” the NFL star said.
“It’s just impressive and goes to her training mindset and consistency. That’s the biggest thing is how consistent,” he continued.
