Jonathan Owens made a mark by signing with the Green Bay Packers last season. It was his incredible stint with the Packers that led to a massive deal with the Chicago Bears. However, things haven’t been smooth sailing for the 29-year-old. As he tried to make a mark in the NFL, he was an undrafted player until year 7. It isn’t always easy trying to navigate through a sport like this, but the NFL safety continued to remain undeterred.

During his stint with the Packers, he caused quite a stir by racking up great stats. While fans weren’t happy to see Owens step away, he continued to make waves when he joined the Chicago side.

During his first appearance for the Bears, the 29-year-old scored an incredible touchdown. Since then, the Safety has been enjoying a less rocky stint. Sounds like he’s finally got his full-circle moment, hasn’t he? However, one of the many things that motivated him came from a dark era in his life. What could it be?

Jonathan Owens pulls the curtains back on a turning point in his life

The Bears’ safety had always been athletic from a very young age. While we know he knows how to play ball, Jonathan Owens was also heavily into track and field and basketball. He didn’t make that transition until after basketball. On November 27, he appeared in a casual sit-down interview with FOX 32’s Cassie Carlson, who asked him what motivated him to push through the intense league. ” NFL was always a dream, but I had a tragedy,” the 29-year-old stated. 

Unfortunately, his stepfather, Nathaniel Cannon, lost his life in an armed robbery when the NFL player was at a camp going into his senior year. Cannon married Owens’ mother in 2001 and had been an integral part of his life since he was 5 years old. The Bears’ safety always addressed him as ‘Dad’. Unfortunately, to this day, he doesn’t know what went down, and the trauma he experienced is something he doesn’t want to open up about. 

However, this made things harder on his mother, Arthurine Cannon, who was disabled due to a debilitating muscle disease called Polymyositis. “So, it was just one of those moments for me where it just gave me a different boost of energy because now I’m like, you know, I really want to get my mom in a better situation,” he confessed. While any other athlete would’ve let this news consume them, Jonathan Owens knew he couldn’t let it bring him down. 

Not even seven days after the funeral, the NFL safety played in the Missouri Western’s season opener, and the rest is history. “I went on to have the best year off, you know, my college career. And Scouts took notice, and I often tell people, ‘It doesn’t matter where you come from, you know?’” He believed that if one is productive and plays well, they will find their way out of adversity.

In 2019, he met his now-wife, Simone Biles, during the Texans game. However, they didn’t officially connect until March 2020, and they haven’t looked back since then. 

Simone Biles became the Safety’s pillar of strength

Jonathan Owens’ move to the Green Bay Packers changed the course of his NFL career. However, the day before he was flying out to Cabo to marry the Olympian, his agent heard from the team. The wedding festivities went on as expected, and as soon as the duo returned to the States, the Safety signed with his new team.

In fact, Simone Biles continued to support her beau through thick and thin. She attended as many games as she could, cheering him on from the sidelines. The 7x Olympic gold medalist has now become a regular at Soldier Field.

During the Chicago Bear’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, the gymnast attended the game wearing an orange and blue Bears jacket and a clear bag with the Safety’s name and jersey number on it. Unfortunately, they lost 23-20.

Compared to how life was for him when the tragedy struck, things have picked up since then. His mother is now a local celebrity, and he enjoys watching his mother smile. In fact, he stated that they’re in a better position to get her things. “My family is in a better situation,” Jonathan Owens admitted. 

Recently, the 29-year-old even bought his mom a house, which has been an amazing experience for him. Simone Biles has always been one of his best critics. Any time the NFL safety made a mistake, she would always point it out and support him by keeping him motivated. Watching the G.O.A.T. dominate the mat every single time, some of that magic has stayed on to him.