Alabama QB Bryce Young Nets NIL Deal with BMW of Tuscaloosa
Despite his head coach’s ties to Mercedes, Bryce Young is rolling with another German automobile dealership. Saturday night, the Alabama quarterback announced a NIL (Name Image Likeness) deal with BMW of Tuscaloosa on his Instagram page.
Young is one of college football’s highest-paid athletes, netting deals with Cash App, Subway and Logan’s Roadhouse. Entering his Heisman-winning season last year, the quarterback had already earned close to $1 million in sponsorship deals.
Young’s NIL opportunities were brought up several times last season. However, the off-field ventures did not adversely affect his play on the field as he set Alabama's single-season records with 4,872 passing yards and 47 touchdowns through the air while becoming the program’s first Heisman-winning quarterback.
“NIL is something that we all knew Coach Saban has told us was just kind of an external factor,” Young said last season. “So for us, you know, when you enter the building, no one's thinking about NIL. No one's thinking about stuff outside. It’s not something we’re talking about or consumed about.
“That’s just an external factor for us, especially when you step into the building. Hasn’t been discussion about it. We’re all engaged and locked in on what's important, and that's winning games. So anytime we're in the facility that's all we're concerned about.”
Young’s latest NIL deal might bring some friendly ribbing from his head coach as Nick Saban owns Mercedes dealerships in Irondale, Ala., Hoover, Ala., and Nashville, Tenn.
Last month, Saban voiced his concern over the possible negative effects NIL could have on college recruiting. However, the head coach has stated several times that he supports his players’ ability to make money for themselves.
I think it’s a good thing that players now have an opportunity to work and make money through name, image and likeness," Saban said on National Signing Day. "I would hope we come up with some system in the future where – and I’m not accusing anybody of anything. But I don’t think players should make a decision about where they go to school relative to how much money they’re gonna make in name, image and likeness.
"I think all the players on our team who made money in name, image and likeness this year had representation on their own, and all those deals were created on their own based on their brand and what they did."
