Built slow. Built permanent.Defensive back, Hamilton Tiger-Cats Co-founder, TORTIS
DevynnCromwell
I've been given a lot. The work is how I say thanks.God has the plan. I have the work. Everything on this page comes from that.
I play defensive back for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. I got there through three programs, a transfer and a torn meniscus at the one day scouts come to watch.
Off the field I co-founded TORTIS, a creatine gum built for the days people skip. Three pieces a day. Small, daily, permanent.
The common thread is boring on purpose. Show up, log it, do it again. Feel is a bad instrument, so I measure.
I'm most useful where there's a cold list and a number to hit: outreach, partnerships, and the follow-up nobody else wants to do.
Before kickoff · Texas Tech, 2024
Now
October 2026
FootballIn season with the Tiger-Cats. First year back after the meniscus.
TORTISShipping founding-ambassador packs and planning a studio tour across the border in November.
ReadingWorking through the shelf below, two days a chapter, one action step each.
Off-seasonLining up work in sales, business development or operations starting in November.
Hamilton Tiger-CatsMichigan StateTexas TechGuelph GryphonsTORTIS
The route
Ontario → Texas → Michigan → Ontario
Start
Started my degree and my football at the University of Guelph.
NCAA
Transferred to Texas Tech, finished a B.S. in Human Sciences and ran a drone business on the side. Closed out college at Michigan State.
Now
Back in Ontario. Playing in Hamilton, building TORTIS out of Toronto.
Back in OntarioOff the field
The work
Three things, each one started from zero.
Co-founder · with Miles LaFoucade
Founder
TortisRitual creatine gum
First production run of 7,000 units, live in the U.S.
6 studio and event partnerships in 2 months, all cold outreach
Founding-ambassador program with yoga, pilates and nutrition creators
Creatine researcher Prof. Sergej Ostojic on the Scientific Board
The rules I run on. Most of them I learned the hard way. Turn a card over.
Calls I've made
Five decisions, the reason, and what came of each.
Football · Guelph to Texas Tech
Seek discomfort.
Why
Staying at Guelph was comfortable, and I knew I'd keep dominating there. I went looking for discomfort instead: a bigger challenge, the highest level, and a room that would force me to learn. Discomfort is the best way to learn and improve.
What happened
NCAA at Texas Tech and Michigan State, then the CFL.
TORTIS · Product
Built it at 525mg a day, not five grams.
Why
We're not competing with your scoop. We're competing with the days you skip it. A small dose people actually take beats a big one they forget.
What happened
Three pieces a day. First run of 7,000 units.
TORTIS · Manufacturing
Ruled out nearly every gum maker on the continent.
Why
Most gum is made with heat, and heat is the one thing creatine can't survive. One sentence cut the list to almost nobody.
What happened
A partner that could make it right.
Football · Rehab
Stopped fighting the plan.
Why
After tearing my meniscus at pro day, I spent six weeks asking "can I do more yet." Once I started asking why instead, the rehab started working.
What happened
First game back, seven months later.
Career · Off-season
Planned the money for twelve months, not six.
Why
The CFL pays well for half the year, and the second contract isn't my call. So I build the thing that pays when the game doesn't.
What happened
TORTIS, built alongside the season.
The shelf
Books I keep coming back to. One stays in the middle. Tap any of them.
Tap a book
Where I'm useful
Sales & business development
Cold lists, follow-up, keeping score. I've opened doors with studio owners, event operators and realtors without a warm intro.
Building a business
Not just selling one. At TORTIS I've handled product, manufacturing, regulatory, fundraising, brand and operations, usually in the same week.
Brand partnerships
Wellness, performance and lifestyle brands that fit how I actually live.
Speaking
Pro sport, early-stage business, and doing both at the same time.
Off-season work
Sales, business development or operations, starting November. Toronto or Hamilton, remote works too.
Get in touch
Recruiters, founders, brands, or just a good conversation. I reply to everything.
The first box, opened on a porch in Toronto, 2026.
