Last Updated on August 26, 2025 by Author
Profile
Mel Owens Biography
Mel Owens is an American former professional football player and TV personality who worked as a linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He stars as the leading man in The Golden Bachelor Season 2, which premieres on September 24, 2025. ABC announced that Owens would lead the show’s 2nd season in April 2025.
Mel Owens Height
Owens stands at a rough height of 6 feet and 2 inches.
Mel Owens Age
Owens is 66 years old. He was born Mel Tyrae Owens on December 7, 1958, in Detroit, Michigan, U.S. Owens. Owens annually celebrates his birthday on December 7th.
Personal Life
Mel Owens Family and Relatives
Owens was born to an unnamed mother and Walter Owens in Detroit. His father, Walter, was a professional pitcher and outfielder baseball player in the mid-1950s. He played for the Detroit Stars of the Negro American League, later coaching high school baseball in Detroit. When he was in the 9th grade, Owens and his family relocated to DeKalb, Illinois, when his father was employed as the baseball coach at Northern Illinois University. Born on August 19, 1933, his father unfortunately passed away on September 20, 2020, at the age of 87.
Mel Owens Spouse and Children
Owens is single and searching for love on The Golden Bachelor. He was previously married to Fabiana Pimentel for around 18 years. Before their divorce, they had two sons, Lucas and Andre. Lucas was born in 2005 and is 20 years old. Andre was born in 2007 and is 18 years old.
Mel Owens Ex-Wife
Owens was previously married to Fabiana Pimentel, who is 19 years younger than him. They tied the knot in 2002 and were married for nearly 18 years before she filed for divorce in February 2020, citing irreconcilable differences.. The divorce was finalized in December 2024 after a four-year legal battle. Before their divorce, they had two sons, Lucas and Andre. Following their divorce, they agreed to joint custody of their sons.
After the divorce settlement, Owens was ordered to pay Fabiana almost $1 million by February 28, 2025, which included the division of property, unsettled child and spousal support, and attorney fees. He kept their Orange County home, valued at over $2 million. Fabiana was estimated to be earning almost $7,000 monthly at the time of the settlement.
Mel Owens Education
Owens received his diploma from DeKalb High School, where he was a multi-sport star. In this capacity, he won nine varsity letters in football, basketball, and baseball. He played at the fullback and linebacker positions on the football team, where he rushed for nearly 1,000 yards in one season.
Owens was a forward for the basketball team. During his junior year in 1975, he was picked as the basketball team’s most valuable player after totalling 254 rebounds (11.5 per game) and 329 points (14.9 per game). As a senior, he earned unanimous all-conference honors by leading the team in both scoring with 352 points and rebounds with 263.
After high school, Owens enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1976. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science. Following his NFL career, he returned to school to further his studies, joining the Hastings College of the Law at the University of California. Later, he graduated and received a Juris Doctorate (JD).
Collegiate Career
While studying at the University of Michigan, Owens played college football for Bo Schembechler’s Michigan Wolverines football teams between 1976 and 1980. He appeared in the 1978 and 1981 Rose Bowls as well as the 1979 Gator Bowl.
In 1976, Owens transitioned from strong safety to outside linebacker and then inside linebacker. In his sophomore year, he primarily played as a backup to Jerry Meter. However, he gained recognition for stopping two fourth-down plays in the fourth quarter against Ohio State. In this capacity, he helped Michigan clinch the Big Ten Conference title and advance to the Rose Bowl.
During his junior year, Owens started the first two games as an inside linebacker for the 1978 Michigan Wolverines football team. However, he sustained an injury during the second game against Notre Dame. As a redshirt junior in 1979, he started all 12 games as an outside linebacker. In this capacity, he recorded 42 tackles and 26 assists. Further, he was a key player in the Michigan State game, causing a turnover and recovering a fumble at midfield. He hit Spartan quarterback Bert Vaughan and forced an errant pass that Michael Harden intercepted.
As a senior, Owens started 11 of 12 games as an outside linebacker for the 1980 Michigan Wolverines football team. That year, he totaled 52 solo tackles, 37 assists, and one interception, earning first-team All-Big Ten Conference honors. Owens finished his collegiate career with 125 solo tackles, 79 assists, and three interceptions.
Professional Life
Mel Owens Net Worth
Owens has garnered a net worth ranging from $1 million to $6 million during his successful career as a former professional football player and TV personality.
Mel Owens Career
After playing college football at the University of Michigan from 1976 to 1980, Owens was chosen in the first round (ninth overall pick) of the 1981 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams. Subsequently, he worked as a linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL) for 9 seasons, compiling 26.5 quarterback sacks.
While still playing for the Rams, Owens was involved in multiple business ventures in Los Angeles, including a clothing line called “Evolution Wear.” In the ’80s, he ran a countrywide restaurant reservation hotline called 1-800-LETS-EAT. He visited Egypt during the 1984 off-season and ran with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, during the 1987 off-season. In 1987, he also competed in the Los Angeles Marathon.
After NFL to present;
Following his time in the NFL, Owens passed the Series 7 exam, also known as the General Securities Representative Exam (GSRE). Further, he worked as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch & Co. He returned to school for his law degree and was subsequently admitted to the State Bar of California in 2003. In 2006, he began working as a founding partner of Namanny, Byrne & Owens in Laguna Hills, California. In this role, he specializes in sports law, sports, workers’ compensation, and disability benefits.
Owens worked as one of the lead attorneys in a rain-injury lawsuit by professional ice hockey players against the National Hockey League (NHL) in 2013. He has represented over 250 football players in workers’ compensation allegations arising out of football-related injuries. The Hockey News ranked him No. 28 in its Top 100 People of Power & Influence in the sport list on January 20, 2014.
Besides his legal career, Owens works as a lecturer and speaker on various topics, including Sports Law, Sports Injuries, Athlete Workers’ Compensation, Sports Management, and Disability Benefits. Additionally, he works as a contributing football coach at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, California. In addition to that, he serves as a member of the Hollywood Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and an avid photographer. Moreover, he has worked as an advisor at the University of Baltimore School of Law.
Mel Owens Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams chose Owens with the ninth overall pick in the NFL draft in 1981. Following a short holdout, he signed a three-year contract worth $175,000 per season in July 1981. He recorded a 4.65-second 40-yard dash and a bench press of 390 pounds. In 1981 and 1982, he mostly played on special teams. Further, he started every non-strike game from 1983 through 1987.
Owens made his first career start in the penultimate game of the 1982 NFL season against the Los Angeles Raiders. In the game, he recorded 10 tackles before a knee injury forced him to leave the game. The injury further impacted his progress by making him miss the last two weeks of the season.
Owens became a full-time starter when the Rams shifted to a 3-4 defense in 1983. That season, he earned 5th place on the team with 83 tackles and registered four sacks. The following year, he earned 3rd place with three fumble recoveries, a forced fumble, an interception, and 79 and 3.5 sacks. In 1985, he ranked sixth on the team with 68 tackles, including five for a loss, and tied for third in sacks with nine.
Owens received an honorable mention All-Pro from the Associated Press in 1986, as the Rams’ defense finished in the NFL’s top five for the second straight year. During the third week of the 1986 season, the NFL named him the NFC Defensive Player of the Week.
Owens sustained an ankle injury in 1988, which limited him to seven games, with four starts. The following year, he became an inside linebacker after spending his whole NFL career as a strong outside linebacker. In this capacity, he played all 16 games and started 10. Over his career with the Rams, Owens totaled 453 tackles, 26.5 sacks, and four interceptions.
Mel Owens The Golden Bachelor
Owens stars as the leading man in The Golden Bachelor Season 2, which premieres on September 24, 2025. ABC announced that Owens would lead the show’s 2nd season in April 2025. Hosted by Jesse Palmer, The Golden Bachelor is a spin-off of The Bachelor that uniquely features senior contestants, typically aged 60 and above. The show follows Owens as he navigates through relationships and makes important decisions regarding his potential future partner.
Owens has a group of more than 20 potential romantic partners who compete for his affection, ultimately aiming to win his proposal. Throughout the season, he progressively eliminates candidates in the elimination process, leading to a marriage proposal to his ultimate choice. The contestants go on dates in romantic and exotic spots, and internal and external disputes in the series derive from the elimination-style show structure.
A contestant could choose to leave the competition whenever she loses interest in the bachelor. On rare occasions, a woman may be dismissed from the show for disobeying any of the rules. The bachelor has significant flexibility in deciding the number of roses and the timing for their presentation.
Owens is ready to rediscover love rooted in the simple joys of companionship, including sharing everyday moments, planning for the future, and growing stronger as a couple. As the Golden Bachelor, he eagerly seeks someone who shares this vision, hoping to finally find the perfect partner to stand beside him in his golden years.
Mel Owens Ageist Comments Apology
Owens came under fire for the ageist comments he made during a podcast. At the time, he commented that he would only date women aged between 45 and 60, cutting anyone over 60. He later apologized for his comments, stating that he was unaware of the actual age bracket for contestants on The Golden Bachelor. He explained that his comments came from a lack of recent dating experience, as he had not dated for over 26 years and his frame of reference was from when he was 39 or 40 years old.
Owens expressed his regret after a friend pointed out his comments were hurtful. He also apologized to the women on the show early in filming, calling his comments unfair and insensitive and asking for a chance to earn their trust back. Moreover, he talked about how the contestants humorously roasted him about his earlier statements.
