Here’s how some Maryland college athletes are profiting off of name, image and likeness deals in the first year of approval – Baltimore Sun

When he isn’t doling out assists for the Maryland men’s basketball team, point guard Fatts Russell is dishing out T-shirts and hoodies with his jersey number — 4 — on them.

Russell is hawking his own clothing line called “Limitless” on Fanjoy and sells clothing with his name and jersey number on Campus Mogul, another online retailer. He said sales have exceeded his expectations.

“It’s been pretty good — surprisingly,” he said. “But I’ve kind of built a fan base that has been growing ever since I’ve been in college, and they’re supporting me. So that’s a good thing.”

On Dec. 16, seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady announced that he had partnered with nine college athletes to promote “Brady,” his apparel line that launches Jan 12. Maryland freshman men’s basketball forward Julian Reese, a Baltimore resident and St. Frances graduate who has averaged 7.2 points and 4.9 rebounds in 10 games, is one of the nine athletes.

Few athletes are earning the reported $1 million Alabama quarterback Bryce Young was nearing over the summer. But there are plenty of bites at the apple available for those who do not play football or in the Southeastern Conference, according to Richie Frieman, co-founder of Brand U Sports, a sports marketing firm that connects brands with athletes through the so-called NIL — short for name, image and likeness — programs.

Frieman, of Owings Mills, said he thinks the field is going to move rapidly.

“A lot of brands know it’s a big market for them. Every brand we’ve spoken to is interested in it,” he said. “I think some brands may be waiting to see what happens, but it’s undeniable that this is going to be a tremendous force for marketing that is really changing the marketing world.”

What makes college athletes attractive advertising and marketing options for companies? Frieman pointed to the athletes’ presence and accessibility on college campuses.

“These NCAA athletes are relatable, they’re real, they’re natural, and they have a huge sphere of influence that can be quite effective because who knows the products better than somebody who is using them all day?” he said. “That’s why the brands are looking at them.”

In addition to his apparel lines, Russell has done a handful of autograph sessions not far from the College Park campus. He said he is reaching five figures in earnings but does not plan to spend it.

“I’ve been getting some good income with it, but I haven’t touched it because I know that eventually I’m going to leave Maryland and then I’m going to have to depend on something,” said Russell, adding that interim head coach Danny Manning has warned him and his teammates about taxes.

Many NIL deals have benefited blue-chip high school athletes such as five-star recruits in football and McDonald’s All Americans in basketball. But Russell pointed out that the legislation helps those who are not on a similar footing.

“Their whole lives are going to change because some of those guys come from middle-class or lower-class families, and being able to have this NIL thing will help them be able to benefit them and their families,” he said. “So I’m excited for them and all of these opportunities.”

It is early, but if there is one issue, it may be that NIL agreements can contradict the cooperative emphasis of team sports, said Tom Rhoads, a Towson University professor of economics who has written about sports economics.

“I think with these NIL deals, there’s a lot more of a focus on ‘me’ for these kids and building their brands and not really thinking about the team aspect,” he said. “That’s where I’m thinking if there’s going to be any kind of negative impact, it’s that the coaches now have a lot more distractions that they have to deal with these student-athletes and getting them to buy into the team concept.”

Thus far, the Maryland coaching staff says, such concerns have not manifested.

Here is a sampling of other area athletes who are cashing in on their NIL rights.

Bryce Frederick, Towson University baseball

The redshirt sophomore infielder from Phoenix in Baltimore County and graduate of Dulaney High School is, among other pursuits, selling “BF26″ merchandise through an online retailer, providing film breakdowns for aspiring baseball players, serving as an assistant coach for a local travel baseball team, earning commissions for signing up new users for an app, and working with a cryptocurrency company.

Frederick, who is a Type 1 diabetic, also has an agreement with a diabetic equipment company that gives him a year’s worth of supplies valued at $3,600. He said he has made four figures on his assorted deals.

“It’s a little bit of an incentive to get involved with the community and help build our brands in turn because that’s something you can use on your resume and get your name and face out there a little bit with the people that might hire you down the line,” he said. “So it’s been completely beneficial.”

Frederick said the NIL rules have been especially beneficial for athletes in non-revenue sports that have a limited number of scholarships.

“Now they have the opportunity to be that person for themselves, for their program, and for that company,” he said. “So I can’t really see it hurting anybody.”

Dymin Gerow, UMBC women’s lacrosse

The sophomore attacker from Baltimore has had only one deal, but it was significant. She took part in a commercial filmed at Under Armour’s headquarters in November.

Gerow showcased a few outfits, read some narration, sat down for an interview and filmed scenes with members of Harlem Lacrosse. She said she earned four figures and plans to use some of the money to buy a car.

Gerow said she wasn’t sure that she would dive into more.

“Lacrosse and school are hard enough as it is,” she said. “I’m not trying to add anything else to my plate. So getting paid actually does help take the stress off.”

Gerow said she is open to considering other offers, but for now is eager to see how the commercial turns out. Is she ready to become a celebrity when it airs?

“I’ve been waiting to be a celebrity forever,” she said with a smile.

Rakim Jarrett, Maryland football

The sophomore wide receiver from Prince George’s County has deals with a law firm, a construction company, an online retailer, trading card companies and restaurants. Jarrett even got paid by Netflix to send a tweet about one of its latest movie offerings.

He has made five figures from his contracts and has hired an agent and adviser to help him sift through other offers. He said he has squirreled away most of the money in savings.

“I’m not really using it for much,” he said. “I’m just trying to get as much as possible in college. I’m trying to see how much I can gain and how much I can save.”

But Jarrett said he appreciates that the earnings are a sort of safety net in the event that he needs to tap into the funds unexpectedly.

“It gives you an opportunity to make money from your name,” he said. “It gives you extra money in your pocket.”

Rainelle Jones, Maryland volleyball

Another Prince George’s County resident, the senior middle blocker has partnered with the on-demand, online retailer Spreadshop to launch a merchandise line later this month that will include sweatshirts, T-shirts and headbands, which have become her trademark fashion accessory.

While Jones will make a percentage based on how much is sold via Spreadshop, the more important priority is using the products and platform to raise awareness about racial and social injustices. The merchandise will feature the line “I kneel with Rainelle,” a nod to her decision to kneel during the national anthem before games.

“Volleyball isn’t a very diverse sport,” she said. “So being able to do that in a not-very-diverse sport can show others, ‘There is somebody different out there who is fighting for equality. So maybe I should look into that.’”

Jones said she has heard horror stories of athletes laboring to make ends meet — with or without scholarships.

“I find it super insane that we are college athletes on scholarship, but there are still struggles,” she said. “A lot of this money that is coming in is a good amount, but at the same time, we still need to budget and be careful with what we’re doing.”

Kevin Lindley, Loyola Maryland men’s lacrosse

The graduate student attackman agreed to a deal in July with Lax.com, an online lacrosse retailer, to endorse gear sold on the website. Joined by several other lacrosse standouts such as Georgetown graduate student defenseman Will Bowen, Syracuse senior attacker Megan Carney and High Point graduate student attackman Asher Nolting, Lindley recently filmed a commercial wearing the merchandise.

He also sat down for a video interview with Lax.com to discuss life as an NCAA Division I lacrosse player and is scheduled to participate in more interviews designed to help prospective players navigate the college process.

Lindley, who graduated in May with a bachelor’s in political science and is studying for a master’s in finance, said the NIL deal gave him a crash course in marketing.