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HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Training camp, which signals the start of football season, often means NFL players are away from their loved ones.
However, for Houston Texans defensive back Jonathan Owens, it’s another sport – and another stage – causing the separation.
“It was kind of tough,” Owens admitted Thursday when talking about being away from his girlfriend, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles. “It was actually the longest that we’ve been apart since we first started dating and everything. I was just making sure I was there being an extra voice for her since she couldn’t have family and everything there.”
Biles, who is from Houston, has been dating Owens for more than a year.
The 7-time Olympic medalist in gymnastics has been in Tokyo since earlier this month.
On the day before Texans training camp began, Biles withdrew from the gymnastics team competition, citing the need to focus on her mental health.
She later withdrew from other individual events at the Summer Games.
Owens watched his girlfriend’s ordeal play out on television, like many Houstonians.
“It was early in the morning, and my heart’s beating,” Owens recalled. “I was sick for her. I know her facial expressions. I could kind of read her lips to know what was going on, and what she was telling her coach. I kind of already knew what was going on beforehand. I was so proud of her that she put herself first, because she could have really got herself hurt if she’s going out there, and kind of don’t know where she is in the air and how difficult everything she does. I was really proud of her and glad that she made that decision.”
Biles returned to action earlier this week and claimed the bronze medal in the balance beam.
“I was so proud of her,” said Owens. “She was able to overcome, mentally, what was going on. She kind of altered her beam routine, but I was just happy for her that she ended up going out and getting a medal.”