As an NFL center for the New Orleans Saints, Connor McGovern has made a name for himself on the football field. But what many fans don’t know is that McGovern comes from a family of agricultural royalty, heir to a sprawling $500 million potato empire.
The Offutt Family Farm Empire
McGovern’s grandfather, Ron Offutt, is known as the “Sultan of Spuds”—and for good reason. Offutt is a fourth-generation farmer who has grown his company, RD Offutt Company, into the largest commercial potato producer in the United States.
The family business is the primary supplier of potatoes for McDonald’s french fries, as well as other major fast food chains like Wendy’s, Raising Cane’s, and Frito-Lay. RD Offutt Farms covers over 190,00 acres of farmland across multiple states, growing not just potatoes but also beans and corn. This agricultural empire has allowed the Offutt family to amass a staggering net worth of over $500 million, making them one of the wealthiest families in the state of North Dakota.
Growing Up On The Farm
As the son of RD Offutt’s current president, Keith McGovern, Connor grew up immersed in the family business. He spent his childhood riding alongside his dad during harvest season, learning firsthand how to pull potatoes out of the ground and getting an inside look at the intricacies of large-scale commercial farming.
“I always say I come from blue-collar farm money, and that’s a little different,” McGovern explains. “We have excellent years and bad years. Pulling money out of the ground and making it grow takes a lot of work, and most of the things you deal with are out of your control, like weather and all that kind of stuff.”
Despite his family’s vast wealth, McGovern mostly kept it to himself during his college days at the University of Missouri. His teammates were surprised to learn the true extent of his family’s potato empire, but McGovern was more interested in forging his own path than leveraging his family’s resources.
From Potatoes To The Pros
When it came time for the 2016 NFL Draft, McGovern’s grandfather Ron even tried to convince him to forego a professional football career and instead join the family business. After all, McGovern was set to inherit a company worth half a billion dollars.
“You realize that you’re walking away from more money [in] the family business in comparison to going to the NFL,” Offutt told McGovern and his college teammate. But McGovern was determined to pursue his NFL dreams. The Denver Broncos selected him in the fifth round, and he went on to play eight seasons in the league, including stints with the New York Jets and now the New Orleans Saints.
McGovern’s farm upbringing has given him a unique perspective on his NFL career. While some teammates have questioned why he’s “doing this” when he could be sitting on a mountain of potato money, McGovern is proud of his agricultural roots.
“Growing cash and having liquid gold are two very different things,” he says. “I aimed to establish my own reputation and demonstrate that my diligent efforts yielded results, rather than relying solely on the support of others.”
Even as injuries have hampered his career in recent years, McGovern remains committed to the grind of professional football. Once his playing career concludes, you can confidently anticipate a smooth transition back to the family farm. After all, there’s always room for another Sultan of Spuds.
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