Who Is Mel Owens? What To Know About The New Golden Bachelor

Mel Owens has been in the media plenty of times over his life, which has seen him go from being a professional football player to a sports lawyer -- before signing on as the second "Golden Bachelor" on the popular television show.

The thing is, the sports figure landed himself in hot water in 2025, when he told producers he wasn't looking to date anyone over the age of 60 ... which caused a stir within Bachelor Nation.

We're going to check out what the television figure's done to make a name for himself prior to his appearance on the hit ABC series ... and see what he's said about his past comments.

Owens began his athletic career at the University of Michigan, where he served as one of the institution's linebackers for several years before ending his college career in 1980.

Mel brought his talents as a linebacker to the Los Angeles Rams, and he joined the team in 1981.

The professional athlete spent the entirety of his football career with the team, retiring from the NFL in 1989.

Following his stint with the Rams, Owens became a lawyer focusing on sports-related injuries and incidents ... he married and had two sons with a woman named Fabiana Owens in 2002, according to Us Weekly, and divorced his wife in 2020.

Owens' designation as the second Golden Bachelor was revealed to Bachelor Nation fans in April 2025.

The former professional football player will be following the first Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner -- who married and quickly divorced his own season's winner, Theresa Nist.

Jesse Palmer, who hosts "The Bachelor" and its various spinoffs, described Owens as a perfect candidate for the program in an interview with Us Weekly, where he said the former athlete had been through "hills and valleys in his personal life."

Palmer went on to describe Owens as a "great lead" and stated the lawyer "really wants to find a special person" through his involvement with the program.

The thing is, Owens upset much of Bachelor Nation when he was asked his dating preferences by show producers, answering he only wanted women within the 45-60 age range to appear on his season of "The Golden Bachelor," according to an interview for the "In The Trenches" podcast.

Mel stated he'd told producers he wanted all the women "to be fit" and asked them to stay away from "artificial hips and the wigs."

Owens later told Glamour he'd spoken to a friend about his comments regarding the age of the show's contestants, and claimed he didn't realize they'd "hit that hard" in their conversation, after which he wanted to publicly apologize for what he'd said.