HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — It started off harmlessly enough, as fodder on an NFL podcast in late May.
Simone Biles’ husband, Jonathan Owens, had recently signed a contract with the Green Bay Packers, and a clip had emerged on social media of the gymnast playfully racing Packers wide receiver Christian Watson across a stretch of grass at a Memorial Day party. On the Pick Six podcast, former NFL quarterback Brady Quinn was asked, in essence, who he thought would win in a real race.
“I mean Watson’s fast fast, so I would say he’s got the edge on this one, but… ” Quinn said, pausing briefly. “I don’t know if this is public or not, but Simone Biles is returning to compete.”
To the average NFL fan, this would’ve seemed like a bizarre revelation coming from Quinn, the former Notre Dame quarterback and Cleveland Browns first-round draft pick. But those who know Quinn’s personal life took note; his wife is Alicia Sacramone Quinn, the women’s strategic lead for USA Gymnastics.
“Are you concerned at all that you just broke US gymnastics news on the Pick Six podcast here on CBS?” co-host Will Brinson asked Quinn through laughter.
“Whoops,” he replied with a smile.
One month later, Biles was formally unveiled as part of the field for this weekend’s U.S. Classic. And ahead of her return to competition Saturday, Alicia Quinn was asked for the first time about the aftermath of that podcast − and whether her husband was actually the one who let the proverbial cat out of the bag.
“He did,” she said with a smile. “It was a shock, to say the least.”
Biles, 26, hasn’t competed in two years after mental health issues and a bout of the twisties prompted her to withdraw from most of her planned events at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. And the gymnastics community has spent much of those two years wondering when, and if, she would return.
Before the podcast, there were only whispers of Biles having returned to the gym, or brief glimpses of her in the background of photos on social media. Gymnasts like Zoe Miller, who trained alongside the four-time Olympic gold medalist in Texas, said they did their best to keep her potential return quiet.
“I could tell my family and stuff,” Miller said. “It’s just all a respect thing, respect her wishes.”
Even amid growing suspicion that Biles was training again, there had been no confirmation that Biles wanted to compete.
Then Brady Quinn made his May 30 podcast appearance.
“We were on like a parents’ little day away,” Alicia Quinn said Friday. “So (a reporter) texted me and I’m like, ‘Huh, that’s weird.’ Didn’t think anything of it. And then I get another text and another text and I’m like ‘what did you do?!?!’ (Brady) was like, ‘I didn’t do anything!’ “
Sure enough, though, he had spilled the beans.
“He didn’t think he was doing a bad thing, he was just excited,” Alicia Quinn continued. “Because as you all probably can imagine, we love gymnastics in our house and Simone is like a fan favorite of my daughters. It was just an unfortunate slip of the lip.”
Alicia Quinn, who won four world championships during her own gymnastics career, said she later spoke with Biles about her husband’s comments. When asked how the news was handled in their household, she demurred.
“How we handle things in my household is none of your guys’ business, no offense, so I’m going to keep that personal,” she said laughing. “It’s unfortunate because I know every athlete wants to be able to announce their return or their contention to do their sport in their own time and place.”
The moral of the story? Alicia Quinn said Brady doesn’t get to know any more secrets.
“Husbands,” Quinn said, shaking her head. “You can’t control what they say.”
Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on social media @Tom_Schad.
