ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (February 20, 2018) — One day in the summer of 2016, Tampa Bay Rowdies center back Hunter Gorskie found himself in the lobby of a modeling agency in New York City.
Gorskie, then playing for Miedź Legnica in Poland, was on a short summer vacation in his hometown and wanted to meet his older brother Jason Gorskie for brunch. Jason had recently ended a professional soccer career of his own and was beginning to make his way into a new career path in the modeling and fashion industry.
When Hunter arrived at the agency, Jason brought his director out for an introduction in the lobby and the director pitched a new idea. What if the two brothers, with little to no modeling experience between them, did a photoshoot together?
The idea was kind of laughed off and the Gorskie brothers went to brunch as planned. But while they were eating, Jason’s phone rang. The director on the other end asked if they would return to the agency after their meal and do a test shoot together that he could shop around to some potential clients.
Hunter Gorskie isn’t afraid of the unknown, so the brothers went back to the studio and did a photoshoot together not really expecting anything to come of it.
“My brother and I were just laughing about it, not expecting anything,” Hunter said. “Later that same day, my brother and I were telling the story to some of our friends when he got a call from the director who said, ‘You guys booked a job. You’re going to L.A. on Wednesday.’ It was my brother’s first paid gig in the modeling industry and it was both of us together. Four days later, we’re in Los Angeles with the Hollywood sign in the background doing a shoot for Saks Fifth Avenue. It was a ton of fun and it was a really memorable trip for the both of us.”
That’s how the Gorskie brothers, only one of which was actually attempting a career as a model, came to appear together in the 2016 Saks Fifth Avenue Winter Catalog.
It’s a good example of how Hunter Gorskie embraces the challenge of new experiences. He’s all about expanding his skill set by facing a new test head on and putting in the work necessary to succeed.
That mindset has led the Gorskie brothers to create a new lifestyle brand together called Don’t Miss Don’t Matter. For now, the brothers sell hats through their website, but the plan is much larger than that.
“We’re looking to make it more content heavy than a fashion statement at the moment, but eventually we’ll tie fashion back into it because my brother is in that field and we want to put out really high quality stuff,” Gorskie said. “It’s a brand that represents an attitude to encourage athletes to take risks. DMDM just encourages people to embrace the big moments and want to be the person that steps up when everything is on the line because that’s what life is all about. I try to embody that and find others who embody that. I want to encourage people to be confident to step up, take risks and do adventurous things.”
Follow Don’t Miss Don’t Matter on Instagram here
Gorskie’s latest embrace of the big moment came Saturday night in the Rowdies’ preseason match against the Montreal Impact. After playing the first 60 minutes of the match in his regular position of center back, Gorskie moved up the field to play the last 30 minutes as a defensive midfielder.
“I have no problem stepping forward,” Gorskie said. “I actually love playing in the midfield. I’m very comfortable there. I played there in college and I played there a little bit for the Cosmos. I’ve trained there and I love it. You see the ball more and get a different taste of the game.”
It’s a new tactical wrinkle the Rowdies have at their disposal for the 2018 season which might allow Gorskie to get into the attacking end a little more often. He scored three goals in 10 matches after joining the Rowdies midseason last year.
With a mindset of rising to the occasion and stepping into the spotlight, Gorskie could be on track for a career year in his first full season in Tampa Bay. Only time will tell what role Gorskie will play in the months ahead, but you can expect him to embrace whatever comes his way.
“I pride myself on being able to adapt quickly and be versatile,” he said. “I’m happy to have the opportunity to show that here.”
As for his burgeoning modeling career, Gorskie doesn’t see too much there.
“I had a lot of fun with it, but I love football too much to move away from it,” he said. “I’m hoping by the time I’m done with football, I’m too old for modeling.”
