Texas Tech linebacker opens up about how NIL has impacted his life
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There's no question that NIL has had a major impact on today's college athletes. While the headline-grabbing deals involving private jets and multi-million-dollar contracts often steal the spotlight, for most student-athletes, NIL provides support in much more practical and meaningful ways.
When it comes to Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, he says he's used NIL support from The Matador Club to pay for his wedding and for travel expenses to see his wife, who currently serves in the Army.
"The Matador Club has been one of the greatest things that has happened in my life," Rodriguez said. "It was a big funder for my wedding and for me to be able to have the life that I have right now. My wife is living in Alabama right now. Being able to see each other as much as we do, not many long-distance people get to do that. I love to play football, and she loves to be in the Army. That's something that we kind of chose, and as hard as it is, we make it happen. So this is definitely something that has helped us, for sure."
Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez used support from The Matador Club to pay for his wedding and travels often to see his wife, who serves in the Army in Alabama. This is what NIL is all about—supporting athletes on and off the field.
— The Matador Club (@MatadorClubOrg) September 12, 2024
Read more here:https://t.co/VGAj4k5isZ pic.twitter.com/669FHq99ci
It's no secret that The Matador Club has been a driving force behind Texas Tech emerging as an early favorite to win the Big 12 championship. While some reports claim the Red Raiders have invested over $40 million in this year's roster, that's simply the cost of competing at the highest level in today's college football. And while fans can often be turned off by some of the most lucrative NIL deals that garner most of the attention from the media, the reality is that stories and experiences like the one from Rodriguez are far more common.
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Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. In January of 2025, he took over as Publisher for Maryland On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.
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