Simone Biles' boyfriend, Jonathan Owens, had no idea who she was when they first started dating

Jonathan Owens and Simone Biles at the gym.
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Simone Biles is arguably the most recognizable athlete in the world.

But the superstar gymnast's boyfriend - Houston Texans safety Jonathan Owens - claims he had no idea who she was when they first started dating.

Simone Biles biting a gold medal.
Simone Biles bites one of her Olympic gold medals. Dmitri Lovetsky/AP

During the third episode of his girlfriend's Facebook Watch docuseries, "Simone vs Herself," Owens details the early days of his relationship with Biles. And while he says he knew she was a gymnast, the NFL player admits that he wasn't aware that she is the gymnast.

"Her work ethic was really the first thing that caught my eye," Owens said. "I never really watched gymnastics before I first started talking to her. When I met her, I honestly didn't know who she was.

"It was just like 'Oh, she has a lot of followers - she must be pretty good or something,'" he added. "That's how I would tell people and they'd be like 'Simone Biles?! You for real, the gymnast?!' And I'm like 'Man, she's good like that?!'"

simone biles
Simone Biles. AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

Yeah, she's good like that.

The 24-year-old widely understood to be the greatest gymnast in the sport's history, headlines the young squad. Since dominating the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro to the tune of four golds and one bronze medal, Biles has pushed herself and the sport to new heights en route to becoming the most decorated gymnast - man or woman - in the history of world championship gymnastics.

Now, as she enters the final elite gymnastics competition of her illustrious career at the Tokyo games next month, Biles is primed to become the most accomplished Olympian of all time.

Simone Biles
Simone Biles at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Alex Livesey/Getty Images

"The coolest thing for me is that I get to witness someone who is literally in the pinnacle of their sport," Owens said. "It's motivating to see that and the impact that she has on people. We were walking past this group of girls and they were shaking [and saying] 'Oh my god, it's Simone!'"

"This is when I kinda knew," he added. "Like, okay, yeah, she's the real deal."

For Biles, having a partner who understands the intensity of her training and the importance of her routines has been helpful. Even her coaches have noticed that "she's different" as a result of having happiness and support in her relationship with Owens.

Jonathan Owens suits up for the Houston Texans.
Jonathan Owens. Frederick Breedon/Getty Images

"We vibe on the same level. We have the same kind of humor. We're both athletic. We're both elite athletes," Biles said. "So we definitely get each other. It was like it was meant to be."

"Everybody loves him, even my family," she added.

Owens does, in fact, play professional football at the highest possible level. But after losing to Biles in a rope-climbing race, even he admits that he can't compare to his girlfriend on the athleticism front.

Simone Biles Jonathan Owens rope climb
Simone Biles (right) crushes Jonathan Owens in a rope-climbing contest. Facebook Watch

"I thought I was athletic until I came and tried to do this," he said. "And they said I couldn't do the basic things, so I was like 'Aw, okay.'"

Check out the full episode of "Simone vs Herself," which was first released Tuesday, below:

Read the original article on Insider