Schmitt was born with a cleft lip and palate and underwent several surgeries to correct it as a child, including one when he was in fourth grade in which doctors inserted a piece of hip bone into his jaw.

At River Falls, he posted a 1,063 yards and five touchdown performance his freshman year, which earned him WIAC all-conference honors in only nine starting games.

In 2006, Slaton, White, and Schmitt were featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated's regional "Big Man On Campus" article.

Schmitt's biggest game was the come-from-behind Gator Bowl win against Georgia Tech, where he filled in for the injured Slaton and rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns.

He also took many snaps at tight end in spring practice, where head coach Rich Rodriguez lined him up occasionally.

Schmitt's first big game of the season came against Maryland when he carried the ball four times for 46 yards, including a 44-yard run early in the 31-14 win.

Schmitt's 57-yard touchdown run in the 48-28 Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma came in an emotional game, his dash through the line of scrimmage and down the sideline broke open what had been a tight 6-3 scoreline.

He performed running back, fullback, and tight end drills without dropping a pass the entire day.

After the Pro Day, Schmitt worked out at the campus before traveling to interview with the Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins, and San Diego Chargers.

Schmitt did not play in the season opener against the Buffalo Bills, but he recorded one reception for six yards in the second game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Schmitt attracted media and YouTube attention in the aftermath of a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2009 NFL season during which he smashed his helmet against his head until he opened up a large gash.

Schmitt played in 13 games, with four starts when Marcel Reece shifted to tailback following injuries to Darren McFadden and Mike Goodson.

[13] Schmitt likes to play guitar in his spare time and can often be found following the Davisson Brothers Band on tour.

Later that year the music video for the un-released single "Country Just Like Me", by the Davisson Brothers Band, was shot by Nashville director Steve Condon, which included cameos by Owen Schmitt, famed bluegrass musician Del McCoury and other Nashville musicians and friends.

Schmitt continued to run the establishment, which hosted other national country acts,[16] until he closed it in June 2018, telling Morgantown's newspaper, The Dominion Post, "It was a great place, but I’m just worn out.

[17][18] In 2015, Owen also appeared in a new music video for the nationally released single "Jesse James", by the Davisson Brothers Band.

He also shared a Sports Illustrated regional cover for the 2006 college football preview with teammates Steve Slaton and Pat White.