By Ryan Jensen
The National Football Foundation’s I Played Campaign
When you grow up in Fort Morgan, Colorado, football isn’t just a Friday night pastime; it’s a way of life. For me, the game was about grit, toughness, and pride. But long before the Super Bowl rings, the Pro Bowl appearances, and the draft night phone calls, my football story started with a humble choice and a $500 grant-in-aid.
Coming out of high school in the mid-2000s, my options were limited. I had two offers: Western State or Colorado State University Pueblo. I chose CSU Pueblo, a program that was just being reinstated under head coach John Wristen [00:47]. Little did I know, walking onto that campus in the fall of 2009 would change the trajectory of my life forever.
The Pueblo Roots and Building a Culture
Coach John Wristen knew he needed tough guys to build the ThunderWolves from the ground up, and he looked right at the Jensen family to help start that foundation [00:47]. My older brother, Seth, had already paved a path here [00:54], and though injuries unfortunately cut his playing career short [10:03], Coach Wristen honored his commitment to me [10:10]. That loyalty meant everything.
There was only one catch before I could officially commit: my dad’s tradition. My father always brought a flag to every stadium, tying it up to represent Fort Morgan in enemy territory [01:22]. When Wristen came for a recruiting visit, he gave us one rule: “Make sure you bring that flag, but you got to change the flag.” And we did [01:38].
As a true freshman coming in at just 215 pounds, I knew I had to seize the opportunity right away [10:31]. I earned a starting spot on the offensive line on day one—playing at left tackle at roughly 225 pounds [10:36]—and never looked back.
Embracing the Edge
My style of play wasn’t always pretty. I played with a fiery, bordering-on-nasty tenacity. I racked up my fair share of personal fouls, and Coach Wristen and I definitely bumped heads [02:30]. We had our fair share of screaming matches during camp, and I even earned myself a suspension after getting ejected during a game against Western New Mexico [08:14].
Wristen’s punishment? Making me sit right next to my mom in the stands for the following game [08:52]. It taught me a valuable lesson about keeping my composure, but that relentless, physical mentality—playing to the echo of the whistle—shaped me into the player I became [02:50].
Through hard work, gaining over 90 pounds throughout my college career to reach 315 pounds [10:45], and leaning on the belief of coaches like Coach Simo (Chris Symington), I evolved [09:17]. I earned All-American honors twice, was a three-time All-RMAC selection, and finished fifth in voting as a Gene Upshaw Award finalist in my senior year [00:00]. My parents made it to every single game of my college career, driving across the RMAC landscape no matter how far [07:04]. Their sacrifices built the foundation for everything that followed.
Reaching the Pros and Remembering Where It Started
A chance meeting with an NFL scout at the Pack House fieldhouse during my junior year—where I helped him fix a computer and ended up getting put through unexpected flexibility tests—planted the seed that a professional career might be possible [11:04]. That belief pushed me to work even harder.
In 2013, my dream became a reality when the Baltimore Ravens drafted me in the sixth round (203rd overall) [02:22]. The road in the NFL wasn’t an easy overnight success; my first four years were a constant grind as a roster-bubble guy, fighting every day just to secure my spot [12:36]. But through the good days, the ugly days, and the stress of professional football, my wife and kids were my absolute backbone [12:29].
I went on to play four seasons with the Ravens before anchoring the offensive line as the starting center for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where we captured Super Bowl LV [00:30]. Sharing that moment on the field in the middle of the confetti with my son is a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life [03:41].
Reflecting on it all—including my induction into the RMAC Hall of Fame—I am reminded that I wouldn’t be where I am today without Pueblo. As I’ve said before, “I owe a lot to Pueblo and Colorado State Pueblo. Coming out of high school, I had two offers… I ended up coming here, falling in love with the place, and making a career out of football.”
Football teaches you resilience, brotherhood, and how to maximize the opportunities placed right in front of you. To everyone who wore the thunder-red, white, and blue and helped build a powerhouse from the ground up: thank you.
Watch a video of Ryan Jensen’s Hall of Fame induction here: CSU Pueblo’s Ryan Jensen inducted into the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Hall of Fame.
Editor’s Note: Ryan Jensen and his family (wife Stephanie, son Wyatt, daughter Eliza) live in Evergreen, Colo. He currently coaches the Evergreen High School football team and works with former NFL player Garrett Gilkey to run a construction company specializing in luxury homes. Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast
