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- Shedeur Sanders is the highest-profile HBCU quarterback in the country.
- As such, he signed a historic deal with Gatorade and is likely making bank.
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Deion Sanders’ son Shedeur made history on Thursday by becoming the first HBCU athlete to sign a deal for his Name, Image and Likeness with Gatorade. Not only is the deal historic, but it is probably a hefty paycheck.
Sanders helped lead Jackson State football to an 11-2 record in 2021 and a SWAC championship at quarterback. He won the Jerry Rice Award, given to the best freshman player in the Football Championship Subdivision and finished the year with 3,231 passing yards and 30 passing touchdowns.
As a result of his stellar on-field play, as well as his name, he is very valuable.
According to On3 Sports’ NIL valuation database, Sanders is valued at $598,000 with about 450,000 followers on Instagram, 175,000 followers on TikTok and 25,000 followers n Twitter. His reach makes him worth a lot of money in terms of his Name, Image and Likeness.
Sanders announced his deal with Gatorade on Thursday morning.
Gatorade followed it up with an announcement of its own.
Although the terms of the deal are no disclosed, it is a safe bet to assume that Sanders is getting paid. Gatorade is a national brand, a household name, and has a lot of money.
Sanders is likely cashing in on a very lucrative deal. And it’s not a one-time promotional stunt, so the deal is probably pretty extensive.
According to a press release, it is the latest step in PepsiCo’s long-term commitment to HBCUs and fostering Black talent. As a result, Shedeur is the athlete face of HBCUs.
“As part of the multi-year partnership, Sanders will work with Gatorade, a brand born on the NCAA sideline with deep ties to college athletics, to drive national exposure of HBCU programs and athletes.”
Although the details may never be made public, Sanders’ deal with Gatorade is undoubtedly worth a large sum of money. It is just the latest example of a college athlete making good money through NIL, a trend that should continue.