Missouri Western Professional Athletes

Jonathan Owens finally has a new home — and his most famous fan made sure everyone knew it.

The Missouri Western alumnus made his regular-season debut with the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, September 13, as Indianapolis hosted the Baltimore Ravens in a 23–41 loss. It wasn't the result Owens or Colts fans were hoping for, but the former Griffon safety's arrival in Indy carried a storyline all its own.

The Custom Dress Heard 'Round the NFL

Simone Biles — four-time Olympic gold medalist and, in NFL circles, increasingly known as Jonathan Owens' biggest supporter — showed up to Lucas Oil Stadium in a custom No. 38 dress to cheer on her husband in his Colts debut. The two shared a pregame kiss on the sideline before Owens took the field, an image that made the rounds almost as fast as the final score. Biles has become a fixture at Owens' games since his time with the Houston Texans, but this marked her first appearance in Colts blue.

A New City, A New Chapter

Owens' signing with Indianapolis represents a fresh opportunity for the veteran safety, who has steadily built an NFL career after going undrafted out of Missouri Western. The move also appears to have Biles' full buy-in: she's reportedly eyeing a relocation to Indianapolis, calling the city "beautiful" as she considers planting roots there alongside her husband.

For Griffons fans who followed Owens through his unlikely path from St. Joseph to the league, the arc continues to impress. Making an NFL roster is hard enough — sticking around long enough to change teams and draw national headlines is another thing entirely.

The Rest of the Griffons

Owens wasn't the only Missouri Western product on an NFL sideline this week. Grant Finley and Sam Webb remain on the Giants' roster at fullback and cornerback, respectively, while C.J. Ravenell holds a spot on the Titans' defensive line. Greg Zuerlein, one of the more accomplished kickers in recent NFL history, continues with the Jets.

Missouri Western isn't a school that shows up on many college football highlight reels, but its alumni footprint in the NFL is quietly significant — and Owens, with Biles in a custom dress cheering him on, is keeping the Griffons' name in the conversation week after week.

Missouri Western's most prominent NFL alumni story this week comes with a familiar headline attached — and it has nothing to do with gymnastics.

Jonathan Owens Signs with Indianapolis Colts

Jonathan Owens, the Missouri Western product and veteran DB, has a new NFL employer. The Indianapolis Colts signed Owens this week in a roster move that drew national attention — due in no small part to his high-profile marriage to Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles. That celebrity association has a way of amplifying every roster transaction Owens is involved in, but the football itself is worth noting: Owens has carved out a legitimate NFL career as a core special teams contributor and versatile defensive back, and landing with Indianapolis gives him another shot at a 53-man roster.

Owens previously played for the Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers, building a reputation as a gritty, do-whatever-it-takes roster battler — the kind of player who survives cuts through effort and positional flexibility rather than star power. The Colts, rebuilding their defensive depth heading into the regular season, add a seasoned veteran who knows how to stick in a league that chews through journeymen quickly.

For Missouri Western fans, Owens remains the program's most visible ambassador at the professional level — a Griffon who has consistently defied the odds that come with making the NFL from a Division II program out of St. Joseph, Missouri.

The Rest of the Griffons in the League

Owens isn't the only Missouri Western alum with NFL skin in the game this week. DT C.J. Ravenell is in camp with the Tennessee Titans, DB Sam Webb is competing for a spot on the New York Giants' roster, and veteran kicker Greg Zuerlein — one of the more accomplished Griffons to ever reach the pros — remains with the New York Jets as the team finalizes its 53-man roster ahead of the regular season.

None of the latter three generated the kind of transaction news Owens did this week, but the sheer presence of four Missouri Western alumni in NFL camps during the final cutdown period is a remarkable footnote for a D-II program that rarely gets a national spotlight.

Owens' Colts signing is the headline, but the broader picture is quietly impressive: Missouri Western keeps producing players who find ways to stay in the conversation when NFL jobs are the scarcest commodity in professional sports.