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Former Texans safety Jonathan Owens proud of wife Simone Biles' performance at Olympics

Former Texans safety Jonathan Owens proud of wife Simone Biles' performance at Olympics
What a feeling! Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images.

Chicago Bears safety and former Houston Texan Jonathan Owens returned from Paris full of pride in what his wife, Simone Biles, accomplished and showing off her Olympic pin.

Owens is back practicing at Bears training camp this week after getting time away to go to Paris and watch Biles win three gold medals and one silver.

“It was amazing to watch,” Owens said after Tuesday’s practice. “My wife is a warrior. That’s the one thing I tell people because I equate it to how we are in football.

“You limp around and it will hurt a little bit right before. But as soon as you go, it’s like you forget about it. Just pain tolerance and the way she was able to go out there and, like I said, look graceful with everything. People really didn’t have a clue what was going on. I’m just so happy and proud for her.”

A calf injury didn’t seem to stop Biles.

“Her resilience, and when she did decide to come back she accomplished everything that she set her mind to,” Owens said. “Just being able to witness every day, the training you go through.

“Obviously, the first day when she had the injury to her calf and just her ability to persevere through that and go out there and still dominate.”

Owens has the customary Olympic pins, including one of his wife.

“My favorite pin would be the one I went there with and that’s the Simone Biles pin right here,” he said. “Yeah, that’s my wife. It was especially made with her autograph on there so you can only get it from her or a family member."

It was a much sought-after pin.

“I had to make sure I kept a few of those on here to tease people," he said. "Like ‘No you can’t get it, I’m sorry.’ “They’re in high demand. Everyone, they would come up to you and be like ’Do you have a Simone Biles pin? Do you?

"So I would only trade some if it were like a super, super cool pin but most of the time people would see you and just want to give you one. It was a cool experience.”

While away, Owens watched the Bears win 21-17 over the Houston Texans in a Hall of Fame game shortened to less than three quarters by a storm.

“I just feel like it was one of those things where the stars just aligned,” Owens said. “I still have a job here at the end of the day, my coaches were calling me to see how I was doing, making sure I was getting rest. Obviously, they want to congratulate Simone and everything but they were also just keeping me up to date on what’s going on.

“I had my iPad so I was able to watch film of any practices that I missed and when they did play, I think it was 2 a.m. in the morning Paris time, so I stayed up and watched the game until the rain delay just to support the guys. Like I said, I was happy they allowed me to go.”

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The Angels beat the Astros, 4-1. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.

Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.

The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.

Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.

Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.

Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.

Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.

Key moment

Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.

Key Stat

Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.

Up next

Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.

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