Forty Under 40: Rafael “Buck” Ortega Jr.

You know you’ve made it when you have your own Wikipedia page. Just ask Buck Ortega. The former NFL journeyman and University of Miami tight end has had a charmed life.

Deep-sea fishing off the coast of Florida. Hunting in the Ozarks. A wife, three kids and a house in Cave Springs. And, since February 2012, a fitness franchise in one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the country. Ortega is owner of three Planet Fitness locations in Northwest Arkansas, and a fourth is under construction.

A born city slicker, Ortega met wife Emily, a Northwest Arkansas native, through mutual friends and they moved to the area. It’s a long way from the sun and surf of South Beach, but Ortega has made the transition.

“It’s a great place to raise a family,” he said.

His gyms, with a membership of over 15,000, are designed for first-timers and those interested in general fitness, not bodybuilders.

“In my playing days, I wouldn’t have worked out at Planet Fitness,” he said.

Ortega played college ball from 2001 to 2005, appeared in back-to-back BCS national championship games and spent three years in the NFL. Though he didn’t make the All-Pro team, Ortega got a lot out of his football career, including a Super Bowl ring with the New Orleans Saints.

“You learn what it’s about to be part of a team, and when you can transfer that to the business world, that’s what it’s all about,” he said.