ABC announced the next Golden Bachelor this week. Instead of choosing someone from Joan’s Golden Bachelorette season, the network tapped Mel Owens to lead Season 2. He’s a former NFL linebacker who once sued the league amid drug abuse allegations. Keep reading to find out more about his compelling background.
Golden Bachelor Star Is Divorced
The first season of The Golden Bachelor featured Gerry Turner, a widower who was looking for love after his wife of 43 years in 2017. He often talked about their love story on the show. Gerry bonded with several contestants who had also lost spouses, including future final rose winner Theresa Nist.
There are several big changes for the second season of Golden Bachelor. The network chose someone who doesn’t have ties with the franchise. They also picked someone younger than Gerry Turner. Additionally, Mel Owens, 66, is divorced, not a widow. Not much is known about his ex-wife or two sons yet. According to Swoon, the former couple divorced in 2020.
Mel Owens also had a very different career path from retired restaurateur Gerry Turner.
His Pro Football Career Was Cut Short By Injury
Mel Owens played college football at the University of Michigan. He was a first-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Rams in 1981. Unlike other Bachelor Nation stars who played on practice teams, Mel Owens saw real game time.
He played nine seasons for the Rams. During his career, he had 453 tackles and four interceptions. Unfortunately, his NFL career was cut short. He retired in 1989 after an ankle injury sidelined him.
Mel Owens had a few business side hustles during his time in the NFL. He reportedly owned a fashion line and a restaurant reservation hotline long before the OpenTable app existed.
He moved to California after leaving the NFL. His career path took an interesting turn. He worked as a financial advisor with Merrill Lynch before going back to school to obtain a law degree.
After getting his law degree, Mel Owns co-founded the Namanny, Byrne & Owens law firm in Laguna Hills, California. His area of specialty is sports injuries, workers’ compensation, and disability benefits.
Mel Owens Sued NFL Over Drug Abuse
In 2014, Mel Owens was part of a class action suit suing the NFL over drug abuse in the league. However, he wasn’t a plaintiff. The former linebacker was among the lawyers working the case.
An interview with The L.A. Times during the case focused on a surprise DEA inspection of three visiting football teams in California. Mel Owens was asked by the outlet if he thought the inspections were related to the class action suit and he said yes.
The class action lawsuit included over 1000 players alleging “mishandling and dispensing of various painkillers and prescription drugs” by team doctors. The allegations weren’t a surprise to the former Los Angeles Rams player.
“It’s been going on for decades. Even when I played, it was happening the way it was described,” he told The Times.
The courts eventually sided with the NFL and dismissed the class action suit in 2019.
Find out more about Mel Owens this fall on The Golden Bachelor.
