ATHENS – NIL deals are starting to roll in for Georgia football players.
As most might suspect, quarterback Stetson Bennett is best positioned to take advantage of the NCAA’s new name, image and likeness (NIL) legislation, what with his Hollywood-like story that culminated in the Bulldogs’ national championship win over Alabama on Monday night. And that started Thursday at a Raising Cane’s fast-food franchise in Athens.
Meanwhile, several of Bennett’s teammates are getting busy with business as well. That included Bennett’s favorite target, Brock Bowers.
A freshman who set records for receptions, yards and touchdowns for a tight end this season, Bowers signed with Everett Sports Marketing out of Greenville, S.C. ESM, as the firm prefers to be called, has several other current and former Bulldogs among its clientele, including Nick Chubb, Sony Michel and JT Daniels.
Credit: Special photo (Provided by Dan Everett of Everett Sports Marketing.
Credit: Special photo (Provided by Dan Everett of Everett Sports Marketing.
ESM signed Daniels to a deal this past summer that could have netted the junior quarterback several hundred thousand dollars this year. However, Daniels ended up injured and eventually lost his starting position to Bennett. Details of Bowers’ deal with ESM were not released as of Thursday.
“The Mailman,” as Bennett was nicknamed well before helping deliver Georgia its first national football crown in 41 years, surprised guests of the Raising Cane’s chicken-finger restaurant on Baxter Street when he delivered their meals in the drive-through window Thursday afternoon. There were also social-media pictures of Bennett signing hats and shoes from a booth inside the restaurant.
Another star from Monday night’s 33-18 victory is cornerback Kelee Ringo, who also stuck his toes into the self-promotion waters provided by NIL. Ringo was marketing a line of shirts made in the wake of the game’s most iconic play -- with his 79-yard, interception-return touchdown with 54 seconds remaining that “sealed the deal.” Ringo is selling T-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies with the phrase “Sealed the Deal” and his likeness making the pick on the front. They can be purchased to $29.99 to $49.99 from the website theplayerstrunk.com.
Several other players are expected launch products and announce promotional deals in the coming weeks and months. Most of them are underclassmen who plan on returning next season. Surely, freshman A.D. Mitchell -- whose first name is Adonai -- is working on something after catching what was the game-winning pass.
Bennett could return to play for the Bulldogs again next season via the NCAA’s COVID-19 exception, but he has remained non-committal so far.
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