Despite going undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draft, Jonathan Owens has carved out a fulfilling NFL career. The average NFL stint lasts just 3.3 years, but Owens is in his 7th season already. His journey didn’t start off smoothly, though, as he broke his finger early while trying his hand at wide receiver.
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Owens sat down with his new teammate Kevin Byard on an episode of Intercepted, delving into his path to the NFL and many more things. During their riveting conversation, the former Texan Safety revealed that coming out of high school, he had an abundance of athleticism and the ability to leap high. But he hadn’t figured out what position suited his talents.
Therefore, he played multiple positions, trying his hand on both sides of the ball. But playing as a receiver cost him dearly, as he ended up ‘messing up his finger.’
As the Bears player recalled:
“So basically coming out of high school, I was still athletic. I could jump, that was my thing, but I didn’t put everything together yet. So I was kind of out of position. I played Outside LB and receiver in high school. But I messed my finger up playing receiver.”
Still determined to make it as a football player, Owens eventually switched to defense, with coaches realizing that he could tackle. He ended up making it out of high school and going to college even though it was a D2 school. There, he moved to safety and excelled over the next four years.
That said, it is remarkable that he made it to the NFL through all the adversity: going to a D2 school, messing up his finger, and even tearing his ACL before he played a single snap in college.
Despite possessing great athletic ability, Owens’ only hope was a D2 school
Despite leaving high school without any stars to his name, Owens jumped at the chance when Missouri Western offered him a spot. Though his mother had reservations, the aspiring prospect was determined to go there and make a name for himself. Then tragedy struck: his already challenging football journey faced a setback even before he played a snap of college ball.
Owens partially tore his ACL in his senior year of high school. Although it was a serious injury, he continued playing, dismissing it as just a sore knee despite hearing a pop. Thanks to his athleticism, he also became a two-sport athlete, competing in track and field as well. During a long jump competition, he leaped impressively and ended up winning the meet.
“I tore my ACL in football season during my senior year of high school. I played through it and didn’t know it was torn. I remember my knee popping up. I think I partially tore it. I was running track. I did a long jump. I jumped off my left leg and ended up winning the meet.”
However, what was initially a partial ACL tear worsened into a full tear, as revealed by further tests.
“But my knee soared up a little bit after that. Go to the doctor, MRI everything; he’s like you have a completely torn ACL.”
He ended up rehabbing throughout his freshman year in college before getting the opportunity to play spring ball the next year. It seemed destined for him to make it to the NFL—a journey so remarkable it practically writes its own script, the kind Hollywood could turn into a movie.
Jonathan Owens is now on his fourth NFL team in seven seasons. However, his career in Chicago got off to a perfect start as he ended up scoring the Bears’ first TD of the season. That play shifted the momentum and got the franchise its first win. Hopefully, he has found a more permanent home in the Windy City.
