Which Past Georgia Stars Would Have Benefited Most from NIL?
The hottest topic in college football today is that student-athletes can finally receive compensation for their name, image and likeness.
Numerous players across the country have already found ways to profit off themselves and their value as student-athletes. Georgia Football is certainly no exception. Running back Kendall Milton has a line of T-shirts while stablemate Zamir White is currently available on Cameo. Other players like quarterback JT Daniels have management deals to help maximize his NIL.
Players today are blessed with opportunities their forerunners couldn't even fathom. But, what if NIL. compensation was already the norm for college athletics? Which stars from Georgia's past would have gained the most off their NIL.?
Sony Michel
The first name that has to come to mind is Sony Michel, or rather Fly Guy 2 Stacks. That's the stage name Michel uses in his part-time rap career. Michel has recorded music since middle school as a hobby and he continued to record music throughout his time at Georgia. His song "Attack the Day" was played during pregames at Sanford Stadium.
As a student-athlete, antiquated NCAA rules prevented Michel from recording music for anything but a hobby. Had current NIL rules existed during Michel's time in Athens, he could have turned his hobby into a part-time career. Georgia fans would have made Michel one of their favorite musicians.
Rodrigo Blankenship
Just search for Rodrigo Blankenship on Ebay, check the T-shirt category and you'll find nine different ones. Most feature the phrase or a variation of the phrase "respect the specs." That is a reference to the athletic goggles Blankenship wears.
Blankenship's "specs" and wearing a helmet during post-game interviews during his freshman year made him one of the team's most popular players. The signature phrase soon followed.
You can bet, if profiting off NIL was allowed, Blankenship would have taken ownership of "respect the specs" and his post-game aesthetic. He would have earned a slice of the many T-shirts and memorabilia sales featuring his image.
Jake Scott
Georgia Football has fielded numerous characters over the years, but few were as charismatic as Scott. The safety's antics were stuff of legend at Georgia with perhaps the biggest when he drove a motorcycle on top of Stegman Coliseum. Whether or not that story is true is irrelevant; the fact the story exists shows how larger than life Scott was even as a college player in the 1960s.
Scott's NIL options would have been limited in 1968, but the money would have found him. Every business in town would have wanted to attach Scott to its brand.
Dan Spivey
Speaking of characters, if anyone could one-up Scott in that regard, it's "Dangerous" Dan Spivey. Or Starship Eagle or Waylon Mercy, whichever of Spivey's wrestling gimmicks comes to mind first.
Spivey was a starting defensive end for Georgia in the early 1970s, but knee injuries suffered as a Bulldog and eventually as a New York Jet forced him to retire from football, but his athletic career was far from over. After leaving football behind, Spivey began a 12-year professional wrestling career that brought him to the world's biggest promotions.
Spivey had impressive range as a character that culminated in his fondly remembered "Waylon Mercy" gimmick in 1995. Unfortunately, the injuries that ended his football career caught up to his wrestling career and forced him into retirement before the Mercy gimmick could really peak.
Now, Spivey certainly would not have become a part-time wrestler while playing for Georgia in the '70s. But he could have put his charisma and acting skills to good use had he been allowed to capitalize off his NIL in college.
Herschel Walker
Obviously, arguably the greatest running back in college football history, would have found ways to make money at Georgia. Scott and Spivey may have been larger-than-life characters, but Walker wouldn't have needed charisma to profit off his NIL; his game was all he would have needed.
Everyone wanted a piece of Walker in the early 1980s and that's why the USFL courted him in the winter of 1983. The upstart league needed superstars and Walker was at the top of their list.
Walker also understood endorsements. He once said, "I don't know if I would want to play in the NFL unless it was for the two New York teams or the Dallas Cowboys." He was also able to choose which USFL franchise he wanted to play for and he chose the New Jersey Generals for their proximity to New York City.
You May Also Like
Jamaree Salyer Named Top 50 Player in 2021
JT Daniels Announces Partnership
Join the community
Follow Brooks Austin on Twitter: @BrooksAustinSI
Follow Kyle Funderburk on Twitter: @DKFunderburk
Subscribe to our YouTube Page HERE
You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @BulldogMaven & follow us on Twitter at @BulldogsSI.
