A 63-Year-Old College Golfer Just Received A Deal For Name, Image, Likeness And She’s Only A Sophomore

• 63-year-old sophomore Debbie Blount is the No. 1 position on her college golf team.
• After walking on last season, she just received her first deal for Name, Image and Likeness.
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Debbie Blount first picked up a golf club at 33 years old in 1991. Now, 30 years later, she just received her first Name, Image and Likeness deal as a college golfer.

Yes, you read that correctly—

Blount is 63 years young and currently playing golf as a sophomore on the collegiate level.

On a random Sunday in January 2020, the Georgia-native decided that she wanted to pursue her love for the game on a larger level. She had already competed in a a USGA championship and a U.S. Senior Am in 2011.

Meanwhile, the idea of college kept popping into her head. She decided that it was time to fulfill her dream of being the first person in her family to earn college degree.

One day, while golfing in Sandy Springs, she met a Reinhardt student athlete who was working at the course and asked him about his school’s golf program.

For Blount, the college experience always felt intertwined with athletics.

“The wheels started turning in my head like a hamster on a wheel,” she said. “I had somewhat lost my passion for golf when my husband passed away and was looking to reignite my passion for the game and try to take my game to a higher level. The answer seemed to be college golf.” 

Finding her future.

In hopes of furthering her career, Blount sent and email to the golf coach at Reinhardt University, wondering if she could compete on the collegiate level. The small, private Methodist school in Waleska, Georgia has a student body of 1,281 undergraduates and competes on the NAIA Division II level as a part of the Mid-South conference.

Impressed by her experience, the Eagles’ head coach had Blount come out to hit balls on the range alongside another recruit. One thing led to another and she was offered a walk-on spot with the team.

Now, a year later, Blount has received a partial scholarship and even competed in Reinhardt’s No. 1 position at the fall conference championship. Meanwhile, she has maintained a 4.0 GPA in the classroom.

Earlier this week, the 63-year-old Blount received a deal for her Name, Image and Likeness.

The NCAA ruled that its athletes could profit from their NIL back in July. It has offered an opportunity for student-athletes to promote themselves through commercial means.

Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux is one of the many companies to get involved in the NIL landscape and recently offered Blount to be a part of their campaign.

Walk-On’s working with Walk Ons.

As part of a perfect brand alignment, the national franchise in the restaurant industry announced a new program earlier this year. “Walk-On of the Week” awards name, image and likeness deals to walk-on student athletes.

The campaign is intended to “highlight the real magic of sports — the underdog,” said Bryan Landry, founder and CEO of Walk-On’s.

“Walk-On athletes endure the same grueling workouts as the scholarship players and in many cases, work jobs to help pay for school, he said.

With NIL changing the landscape of collegiate athletics, we want to make sure that walk-ons aren’t left out and receive the recognition and support they deserve. We’re grateful to tell their stories and welcome them to our family of athletes.”

Blount, a former walk-on, was the company’s most recent recipient.

As part of the deal, Blount will provide social media promotion, make appearances and engage in product promotion. It is unclear as to what the return is for Blount. However, it’s hard to imagine she will ever pay for a meal at Walk-On’s ever again.

Perhaps more importantly, her story is being shared. While she wanted to play college golf, Blount also wanted to be an inspiration for others to go out and chase their dreams.

She is absolutely crushing it and this NIL deal is just the icing on top. Aren’t sports the best?