Q. Is Simone back today?
JONATHAN OWENS: Yes, I can't wait to see her. She's coming in from the Today show.
Q. What's the experience like for you?
JONATHAN OWENS: The experience for me, her going over?
Q. Just the whole thing. You were so far away.
JONATHAN OWENS: It was kind of tough. It was actually the longest that we've been apart since we first started dating and everything. I was just making sure I was there being an extra voice for her since she couldn't have family and everything there. Just kind of keeping her positive and keeping her motivated. When things kind of got tough, just being an extra voice for her, making sure everything stays positive.
Q. How special for you was it that she ended on a high note with the bronze medal?
JONATHAN OWENS: I was just so proud of her she was able to overcome mentally what was going on. She kind of altered her beam routine, but I was just happy for her that she ended up going out and getting a medal.
Q. How proud are you of the awareness she was able to raise about mental health and how open she was?
JONATHAN OWENS: Very proud. Just showing that there is times where you need to put yourself first, especially if it's a danger to your health, if you're going to go out there and kind of perform for everybody else, you know what I mean? I was so proud of her that she put herself first because she could have really got herself hurt if she's going out there and kind of don't know where she is in the air and how difficult everything she does. I was really proud of her and glad that she made that decision.
Q. How long has it been since you talked to her, and were you able to -- I mean, you need to listen, but how was that communication? You said supporting her from a distance, but that's not an easy thing to do.
JONATHAN OWENS: We kind of, it's a 14-hour time difference. In the mornings here, it would be night there. I would just kind of catch her before she would go to sleep and just try to give her motivational speeches to kind of keep her head up. She was kind of in a funk when everything wasn't going right. When you're used to everything going right for so long and all of a sudden you kind of hit a hiccup in your performance, she can kind of get down on herself and lose confidence.
That was kind of one of the things I was just trying to make sure to keep her positive. It was hard for me to really understand what she was going through because I'm not on that stage and dealing with those pressures and everything. But I just tried to be as understanding as possible and just try to motivate her, man, keep her head right.
Q. When you were watching the team final, what was going through your mind as you were watching, I assume with everyone else, and you see her go to the locker room. What was going through your mind in all this?
JONATHAN OWENS: Like I said, it was early in the morning, and my heart's beating. I was sick for her. I know her facial expressions. I could kind of read her lips to know what was going on and what she was telling her coach, and I kind of already knew what was going on before hand. So I was just really hoping that she was kind of going to get over it and be able to go out there and perform. So I was sick to my stomach just because she wasn't able to go out there.
I know her teammates really wanted her out there, but she made the best decision for herself. I'm going to support whatever she does.
Q. How hard for you to come out here on the field and have that in the back of your mind?
JONATHAN OWENS: When I get out here, I'm in football mode, man. It's those outside things. I kind of focus on this. This is my career, you know what I mean? Once I got done, I checked on her seeing how everything was. Kind of when I come out here, though, I try to focus and have tunnel vision on what I have to have going on. If you're not mentally all here when you're out there on that field, you can get yourself hurt.
So just kind of try to stay focused and do my job first, and then whenever I get done, go and make sure she's fine.
Q. What do you think of the outpouring of support from all over the world for her struggles?
JONATHAN OWENS: I loved it. I'm just glad it was people that understood kind of what she's going through and actually people went and did their research on the gymnast condition that they kind of go through when that happens. I was really glad for people to really give her that support and just keep her spirits up after she made her decision.
Q. Can you talk about what she did for herself. She was always still very involved with the team. Can you talk about all of that.
JONATHAN OWENS: She loves the team. She loves her team's success. Those are her friends too. Obviously, she wants the best for them, and with her being down, it was chances for other people to go out there and have a chance at winning gold. So obviously she want to support her teammates. She trains with them. They all train together since they've been out there in Tokyo, so you build relationships with those people. You obviously want nothing but the best for them.
Q. What are you trying to show in your training camp onfield as we go into the first few days?
JONATHAN OWENS: I'm learning, learning the new system, new techniques, just the fundamentals and everything, getting better every day. I couldn't ask for anything better than to have a chance to compete and put my best foot forward to making this team.
Q. When you make your case to the coaches, to the head coach, what are you telling them that I should be here for what reason?
JONATHAN OWENS: My athleticism, what I can do, my versatility, my effort, and just willingness to play anywhere they want. It doesn't really matter to me -- special teams, defense, anything they want. I just want to be that guy for them.
Q. Can you tell us the story that David Culley just told us about you cleaning his room when he was with the Chiefs?
JONATHAN OWENS: Yeah, I used to work on -- we used to clean out their dorm rooms so I could stay on campus for free so I could workout up at the school over the summer to put myself in the best position. Actually, it's crazy, man. I used to really have like butterflies going through those guys' rooms. Like oh, my God, they play in the NFL. That's kind of where I wanted to be. It's just crazy how things come back full circle.
But I was definitely the guy in there folding up all their beds, kind of putting their shoes in order, just so I can be able to stay up at campus and stay up there for free. I wouldn't change anything about it, man. It really puts everything in perspective for me.
Q. Was it Chiefs' coaches?
JONATHAN OWENS: The coaches, the players, they all stayed in our freshman dorm rooms.
Q. Where were you playing at the time?
JONATHAN OWENS: Missouri Western State.
Q. Who has the dirtiest room?
JONATHAN OWENS: I'm not sure, man. I know they had shoes all over the place, clothes. We wouldn't really touch all that. We more so made sure the beds were made up, take the sheets out, put new sheets in there, and tidy up a little bit. It was a good experience. I was glad to be cleaning their rooms. I got to tell everybody I cleaned the Chiefs' rooms.
Q. What year was that?
JONATHAN OWENS: I want to say it was 2016 summer.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports