REALITY TVWho Is Mel Owens? Meet the New 'Golden Bachelor' Lead
Mel Owens is the next lead of the 'Golden Bachelor.'
April 28 2025, Published 12:09 p.m. ET
The Golden Bachelor is back and ready to steal America's heart once again! Season 2 is gearing up to shine a spotlight on its new, charming lead: 66-year-old Mel Owens, a former NFL star turned lawyer, on a quest to find true love in his golden years.
Hailing from a tight-knit Midwestern family in Detroit, Mich., Owens' journey to becoming the second-ever Golden Bachelor is nothing short of impressive. Excelling in sports from a young age, he didn't just graduate from the prestigious University of Michigan; he was also drafted ninth overall in the 1981 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams.
Mel Owens used to play football.
According to ESPN, Owens snatched snatched four interceptions along with 26.5 sacks throughout his career, and retired in the 1991 season after an injury.
After hanging up his cleats, Owens attended law school and received his Juris Doctorate at the University of California at San Francisco - Hastings School of Law, and later on became a founding partner at NBO Law.
"Mr. Owens attended law school and received his Juris Doctorate at the University of California at San Francisco – Hastings School of Law. In 2006, Mr. Owens became a founding partner at NBO Law. "Mr. Owens is a lecturer in the field of workers' compensation, sports law, sports injuries, and disability benefits," the NBO Law website read.
So, what about Owens' romantic history? After moving to Orange County, he found love and wed his first love, sharing two sons together.
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Despite the marriage eventually coming to an end, Owens focused on family life, fully immersing himself in being a devoted dad. Now, the network teased he is "ready to rediscover a love rooted in the simple joys of companionship."
Thanks to his unwavering dedication, both of his sons snagged baseball scholarships to Ohio State and Oklahoma State, respectively.
Filming for the spinoff is reportedly set to roll in the summer of 2025, though Bachelor producers have yet to confirm the precise timeline. According to Showbiz Cheatsheet, a question on the Golden Bachelor application asked potential contestants if they would be available between June and August 2024. Curious minds also wanted to know about applicants' valid passports through August and their past criminal records!
Post-NFL, he earned his law degree and became a founding partner at NBO Law.
Owens' journey is set to follow a similar schedule to Joan Vassos' season of The Golden Bachelorette, which filmed from June 2024 to its finale in Tahiti that August.
The premiere date for The Golden Bachelor is still under wraps.
