You may not naturally connect the dots between the National Football League and a brand-new automotive estate and adventure club based in Bozeman, Montana. But in the case of Connor McGovern, it makes perfect sense. Driven by a lifelong passion for cars, the NFL vested veteran is a key member of the advisory team propelling EVESO Bozeman.

Rooted in adrenaline

Connor’s career in the NFL started in 2016, when he was selected by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round of that year’s draft. Over the following eight years – until December 2024 – he accrued 96 starts and 109 games in the NFL, split between the aforementioned Broncos, the New York Jets, and the New Orleans Saints, mostly playing as centre or guard.

He has built an impressive CV at the pinnacle of American football. But long before his days in the NFL – even playing college football – it was back at home on his family farm in Fargo, North Dakota, that Connor had developed a different love.

“We grew up racing dirt bikes, snowboarding, skiing, wakeboarding, all that kind of extreme sports stuff, and we were always into cars. Anything with a motor we did growing up,” he said.

Connor has clearly always had a taste for adrenaline. But as a youngster, he was quickly pushed towards football. Now, standing at 6ft 4in and weighing in at 306lb, you can see why.

“On dirt bikes, I was like a 12-year-old racing 25-year-olds. But just by pure size, my Dad was like, ‘We need to find a different sport for you, because you're not built for this one!’

“I always loved football growing up. We were obviously motorheads, but the only other sport we really watched or partook in was football. So I fell in love with football and took that to as high as I possibly could and really, really enjoyed it. Then coming back to cars, it was always my hobby. It didn't matter what stage of life.”

Hollywood inspiration

After his successful stint in the NFL, which included multiple major signings, Connor turned some of his attention back to engines and wheels.

His childhood passion – one which he shared with his Dad, who used to spend much of his spare time working on muscle cars and now races with Connor’s brother in the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America – never left.

But it was underpinned by a love for the Fast and the Furious film series, which features many famous vehicles, including the silver-and-blue 1999 Nissan GTR R34 that was driven by the film’s protagonist, Brian O’Conner, and played by the legendary Paul Walker. The film series had made an impact on Connor and influenced his next career move.

“Just like many people in their late 20s, early 30s, the Fast and Furious was a big deal. It left an impression. My holy grail is a Nissan GT-R. So I went searching for a GT-R, and found an R34. And then when I went to go sell my R34, I got in with some of the JDM crew in Denver.”

A new JDM expert

Getting his hands on a Nissan GT-R R34 Skyline was no easy feat; the model was never produced in the United States, and strict laws regulated their use until just recently. But with his attention firmly set on acquiring one and the JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) sphere booming in the United States at the same time, Connor simultaneously found a niche he was fiercely passionate about and a business opportunity.

“I started importing cars, buying and selling a lot of JDM cars. I really fell in love with building them. I am part of a shop called Garage S Zero. Every time we've been in a show or a competition with legends, our cars tend to beat them. I'd say Garage S Zero is probably the top tier GT-R restoration. So I've had my hand in a lot of different JDM stuff,” he said.

It was through Garage S Zero that Connor became a JDM expert, immersed himself in the automotive space, and continued to build his business portfolio.

“My brother and I come from a very large family business. We're farmers and have John Deere stores and a couple other things. So we've kind of grown up around business our whole lives. Then I've dabbled in the car aspect of it or the automotive aspect of it and learned a lot of lessons, had some good deals, had some bad deals.

“I've learned a lot, and I've made a lot of really good connections in the automotive space. Back eight years or so ago, I mean, an R34 GT-R was viewed the same as Lamborghinis and Ferraris in the United States. You'd be slinging a Civic to a guy, and then some guy worth hundreds of millions of dollars would walk in looking for an R34. So it was a fun time.”

A new string to the EVESO bow

While helping run Garage S Zero, Connor spends much of his spare time at the race track, having joined Apex Motor Club in Phoenix, Arizona – the founder and former CEO of which, Matt Williams, serves on the EVESO advisory board – alongside his father and brother. Among others, he also owns a Kellymoss-restored Porsche 964, a Porsche 991.1 GT3 RS, which he describes as “an absolute track weapon”, a Chevrolet Corvette C8 Z06, a 1,200 horsepower Porsche 997 GT2, and two Nissan GT-R R34 Skylines.

He’s a true gearhead and a fan of all things high intensity, which led him towards familiar territory: the great Montana outdoors, and meeting Alex Waters, CEO and Founder of EVESO Bozeman, who saw a great opportunity in Connor’s knowledge of a popular but extremely specialist area of the automotive space.

“We were in Montana a lot in the winter. My Dad had first met Alex through members of the Yellowstone Club, and told my brother and me, ‘Hey, this isn't a project for me, I’m getting to the end of my professional career, but I think it’s a project that you two would really enjoy’,” Connor explained. “So I sat down with Alex, and obviously his background is very impressive from being a driver, an adrenaline junkie, a race car instructor, and all those things. You know, he's very well connected to add a lot of value to a place like Bozeman.”

“He wanted me to come on board as that JDM specialist, if a member needs something imported, because my company has imported cars from most of Europe and most of Asia. If someone needs cars moved around, imported, exported, that's kind of my area of expertise,” Connor said.

Now, Connor is a core part of the team behind EVESO Bozeman, which will offer comprehensive automotive stewardship, including automotive care and services, logistical concierge, and real estate-backed storage infrastructure for cars, boats, RVs, side-by-sides, and more. Just like that, a new string was added to EVESO’s bow.

What differentiates EVESO from the rest

Alongside his raw passion for cars, what drew Connor to the EVESO Bozeman project was its position at the intersection of automotive and outdoor adventure culture and its keen focus on community.

“It seems to be, as the world evolves, you don't have the tight neighbourhoods you used to grow in the United States. That kind of aspect of community has changed a little bit. And so I do think this project helps a lot,” he said.

“EVESO aims to attract similar people with the same passion. Especially in Bozeman, people can share these cars and their love for the great outdoors together. You're in the mountains, so the roads are really good to cruise and there is so much opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy nature, whether that’s to relax or do something higher intensity. It's just a beautiful place with great roads, great landscape, and great people. I do think it'll bring a fun aspect to Bozeman that is definitely lacking right now.”

Connor believes that EVESO’s unique approach to building an automotive estate by featuring both a Members’ Club and deeded storage makes the project uniquely attractive, setting it up to drive a cultural change as well as fulfilling a demand for services. At its core, EVESO Bozeman is engineered to build an automotive and outdoor adventure community as well as a hub for motoring infrastructure.

“Places like this kind of bring a community together where you can appreciate what everyone within that community is doing. It’s easier to do that when you have a garage next to somebody or a shared space you can all hang out in; you get to actually learn more about them than just what you see on four wheels. So it just continues to build a healthy community around automotive and outdoor culture.”