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.”

simone biles olympics

The Longhorns host Georgia on Saturday night. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

By any measure, from the official statistics to the informal eye test, top-ranked Texas' defense has been dominant.

The Longhorns rank No. 1 in total defense and scoring defense. They are top 10 in first downs allowed, tackles for loss and passing yards. Much of that is built against opponents starting former walk-on quarterbacks ( Michigan ) and freshmen ( Mississippi State and Oklahoma.)

But the level of quarterback play Texas will face, in both talent and experience, is about to get much better over the second half of the season.

Texas hosts No. 5 Georgia on Saturday night in the first matchup of top five teams in Austin since 2006, before playing the next week at Vanderbilt. Bulldogs senior Carson Beck was a preseason first team Associated Press All-America pick, and standout Vanderbilt transfer Diego Pavia has carried the Commodores to a surprising 4-2 start, including a historic win over then-No. 1 Alabama.

Quite simply, Texas hasn't defended this caliber of quarterback all season.

Beck is a player on the doorstep of the NFL, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said.

“There's nothing in the throw game (Beck) can't do,” Sarkisian said. “He's played enough football now, too. It's kind of hard to confuse guys when they've played that much football.”

Texas (6-0, 2-0 SEC) has allowed just one team to pass for more than 200 yards this season. Beck passed for 459 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions last week in a 41-31 win over Mississippi State. His 36 completions set a Georgia record.

Even when Beck struggled early in Georgia's loss to Alabama, he rallied the Bulldogs to a late fourth-quarter lead. He finished with 439 yards in the loss where Georgia's rally ended with an Alabama interception in the end zone in the final minute.

Sarkisian recruited Beck when the Texas coach was an assistant at Alabama. Beck had initially committed to the Crimson Tide before switching to Georgia.

Beck is 18-2 in his career as a starter, and 6-2 against top 20 opponents.

The Bulldogs (5-1, 3-1) will need another exceptional game from him Saturday. A second SEC loss could threaten any chance of playing for the SEC championship, and raise the alarms on the College Football Playoff as well.

Texas has all but overwhelmed opposing quarterbacks so far.

In last week's 34-3 thrashing of rival Oklahoma, the Longhorns sacked Sooners freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. five times, and held him to 27 yards on 20 carries. Texas allowed just 225 total yards.

Hawkins was the first Sooners freshman to start at quarterback against the Longhorns in the 120-year history of the rivalry and was quickly swallowed up by a relentless pass rush.

By the numbers, the Longhorns program is on pace for a historic season. Sarkisian has said his favorite stat is points allowed, which is not many.

Texas has surrendered only three touchdowns all season. Opponents have snatched four turnovers inside Texas territory, but none have produced points.

That ability to snuff momentum can drain an opponent, Sarkisian said.

“We're so composed as a defense,” Texas safety Michael Taaffe said. “We're so confident, that no matter what happens, everything is going to be alright.”

The only time Texas has trailed this season was a 3-0 early deficit against Oklahoma. Several Longhorns starters were still on the field when the Sooners' final drive stalled at the Texas 6-yard-line as the game ended.

The stars emerging for the Longhorns have been second-year linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and freshman edge rusher Colin Simmons.

Hill leads the team in total tackles (42), sacks (4 1/2) and tackles for loss (8 1/2). His sideline-to-sideline speed and move this season from the edge to the middle of the Texas defense has drawn comparisons to former Longhorns All-American Derrick Johnson 20 years ago.

Simmons has four sacks and 7 1/2 tackles for losses, second on the team in both categories.

“Size, speed,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said in summing up the Texas defense.

“They’re the complete package on defense," Smart said. "The consistency you watch them play with, it reminds me of some of our best teams here.”By any measure, from the official statistics to the informal eye test, top-ranked Texas' defense has been dominant.