TAMPA — Buccaneers center Ryan Jensen's friendship with business partner and former Bucs offensive lineman Garrett Gilkey goes all the way back to their days playing Division II football in Colorado.
Jensen, 32, played his college ball at Colorado St.-Pueblo, while Gilkey, 33, played for rival Chadron St.
Their pro football paths led them both to Tampa, and that's where they went into the business of designing and building high-end homes. They're also developing projects in Colorado.
GILK is a re-brand of HGC Designs, and it's in its first year of development. Gilkey explained how their business wants to be one that builds dreams and changes lives. He's using more social media outreach to try and sell their vision to potential clients.
"Really using the lives of the people in the organization to start telling a story," Gilkey said at GILK headquarters. "To start bringing to the front of our platform the relational, transformative nature of what’s happening in our company."
Pro athletes face many outside challenges from people who want to take advantage of their resources when they start business ventures. Jensen said one of the best ways to deal with those situations is to give out a big dose of honesty throughout the process.
"They trust us. They know we’re not going to be out here trying to pull the wool over their eyes. We want to be honest," Jensen explained. "We want to have a true, working relationship with our clients."
Both players are using the same tool in business that they used to make it to the NFL.
"We both live in an extremely high sense of urgency and performance. For us, it’s really easy to transition from professional sports into custom home-building," Gilkey added. "It gives us the ability to take that same commitment to excellence and translate it over into a product that we are able to create for our clients and our consumers."
Jensen injured his knee during training camp in 2022, and he's only played in one game since. But he said he has no problem balancing his new venture with continuing his rehab.
"Kind of having a 'real job' on top of my football career," Jensen joked. "But it’s been pretty simple, pretty seamless. Able to do everything I need to do for football, but also be present enough with the company."
Both Jensen and Gilkey want GILK to be a financial success, but Garrett didn't hesitate to mention the true payoff to starting this particular business.
"For us, I think that’s probably the most meaningful thing that we’re able to hold on to," he explained. "The knowingness that we’re really helping people live in transformation, and we’re creating opportunities for lots of people and blessings for a lot of families."
GILK is also committed to supporting individuals in their journey to transform their lives. Whether it's military veterans, retired athletes, or those seeking prison reform, Garrett is dedicated to rebuilding their lives while also giving them the opportunity to learn new skills.
Within GILK, some of the team has participated in the company’s programs, gaining expertise in the field while also receiving essential counseling support.
