Buck Ortega

Entrepreneur and Former NFL Athlete

Buck Ortega has led a life with much success when viewed from the world’s perspective, and he attributes much of his success to the way he treated those around him and the character of those people he surrounded himself with. Most of all, Buck saw Jesus’ words from Mark 8:36 “what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul” played out in his life and the lives of those around him, and it impacted him greatly.

As he strives to succeed, he knows his Kingdom focus is most important, and uses this to cultivate his mindset to put God and others before himself. Buck was born and raised in Miami, Florida, his father being a political refugee from Cuba. His success started in athletics, winning a football state championship in high school and earning a full scholarship to the University of Miami, where he won a National Championship with the Hurricanes. After college, plans to pursue a career in dentistry were interrupted when Buck had the opportunity to play just shy of four seasons in the NFL for the Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns, and New Orleans Saints, where he nearly won a Super Bowl Title. When football life ended, Buck began life as an entrepreneur, experiencing much success as a Planet Fitness franchisee, where he was able to help build and work with a great “team”, using knowledge and experience he had gained through years leading on the athletic field. Buck also spends time serving his local church, speaking about his walk with Christ and football past, managing real estate, and being a family man. He now lives in NW Arkansas with his wife and their six children.