The success story of Connor McGovern is not just amazing but full of bling. Though the league is filled with those, very few don’t accept their million-dollar fortunes and follow their passion. He is one of those. It is a fight to fulfill dreams.

The New Orleans Saints center could have easily inherited fortunes from his family’s multi-millionaire estate. But he chose to earn some money on his own. His parents feel proud that their son has achieved such big things in his life.

Who are Rondi McGovern and Keith McGovern, the owners of RD Offut potato farms?

It was the 1960s, when Ron Offutt, his grandfather, started growing potatoes on their farm. But the big break came in 1973, when McDonald’s came to their doorsteps, wanting potatoes. Later, Ron’s son, Keith McGovern, joined him in the farming business. Together, they took the company’s annual business over $500 million. In 2018, they changed the company’s name to ‘R.D. Offutt Farms.’

Later, Keith got married to Rondi. The couple welcomed their son, Connor McGovern, in April 1993. Just like his father, Connor also helped his father in the business whenever he got time off from school. But that wasn’t the only thing he got from his family. Football was also in the blood.

His grandfather, Ron, played football too. His cousin, Griffin Neal, also played football in Germany and for the Saints briefly. It gave him confidence. Having an independent nature since childhood, he decided to pursue a football career. Boom! It became big.

The heir of the potato empire has always been proud of his roots. It gave him the work ethic that took him to the NFL.

McGovern thanks his farming roots for his success

Growing up in Fargo, North Dakota, he developed a habit of getting up early and going to work. “It’s that work ethic of whatever is in front of you, whatever task you have that day, just attacking it and doing it to the best of your abilities, not being afraid to work hard. Those are definitely qualities that have helped me get here,” he said while talking about his roots.

In 2016, when the Denver Broncos drafted him, he played as a right guard. But in 2018, Tim Paradis suffered an injury following which he was moved to starting center. Since then, he has been playing in the same position. In 2020, the 6′ 4″, 306-pound athlete joined the New York Jets on a 3-year, $27 million contract. He signed with the Saints’ practice squad in 2024.

The work he did at his farm made him mentally tough. It gave him the resilience to achieve everything he set his mind to. Being a proud American, he hasn’t thought about if he would go back to farming after retirement from football. But there’s a vast amount of money he can make in that as well. Stay tuned for more of such amazing stories.

Watch this exclusive Think Tank interview with Emily and Erin Griffin, who have worked in the NFL for a long.