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Exclusive: Simone Biles Reveals Who Came Up With Pregame Handshake With Husband Jonathan Owens

Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens' handshake is a part of their pregame ritual.
Autumn Hawkins|
Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens share a sweet moment before the Indianapolis Colts preseason game.
Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens share a sweet moment before the Indianapolis Colts preseason game. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens' pregame ritual involves a routine that fans cannot get enough of.

Before the game begins, the Olympian has a short moment on the field with Owens, whom she married in 2023, where they perform a special handshake signaling good-luck to the Indianapolis Colts safety ahead of kickoff.

Before Biles and Owens created their good-luck handshake, they had come to a snafu because of the equipment he wears on the field.

In an exclusive conversation with ON SI about her partnership with Arcutis last month, Biles gave some insight into how the couple's viral pre-game handshake came about and why they had to put it on pause for a moment.

Who Came Up With Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens Handshake?

"We came up with it probably about three seasons ago, but I had to tell him to stop doing it, because whenever he would run over to me on the sideline, he would always have his gloves, and they're so sticky, and he would literally just, like, twist my fingers on, like, our little [handshake], and it would hurt so bad, breaking my nails," Biles explained.

When it comes to the ownership of the pregame handshake, Biles explained it was created as a collaborative effort. Additionally, with a little change to Owens' game-day uniform, the couple is back to their pregame ritual.

"So now he's not wearing the gloves; he can do it again," Biles continued. "So I think he makes sure he doesn't have the gloves on, but we came up with it together, just as, like, a good-luck thing."

Who is Most Likely to Mess Up the Handshake?

When it comes to their handshake, Biles is putting it on her, on who would most likely fumble a part of their ritual.

"I always say that I would be more likely to mess it up," Biles confessed.

The Olympian attended two preseason games when the Colts faced the Atlanta Falcons and the Detroit Lions back in August. She also attended the regular-season opener against the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans matchup last month.

Most recently, she attended an overseas game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London against the Washington Commanders last week.

The Colts will be on the road to face the Pittsburgh Steelers today at 1 pm ET.

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Autumn Hawkins
AUTUMN HAWKINS

Autumn Hawkins is a sports, music, and entertainment journalist specializing in coverage of the NFL, NBA, and WNBA. Throughout her career, she has interviewed high-profile athletes such as Shaquille O'Neal, Lamar Odom, and Jason Kelce. She began her career working in broadcast for WPRI, FOX Entertainment, and the CW Providence as an entertainment producer and coordinator. Her work has been published in ClutchPoints, The Sporting News, Compulsive Magazine, and HOT 96.9. She holds a bachelor's degree from Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island.

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