Inside The Huskies

McDuffie Appears to be First UW Athlete to Take Advantage of NIL Freedom

Husky cornerback reveals immediate agreement with gaming company.
Dan Raley|
McDuffie Appears to be First UW Athlete to Take Advantage of NIL Freedom
McDuffie Appears to be First UW Athlete to Take Advantage of NIL Freedom

Trent McDuffie's coverage skills always have made him the first University of Washington football player to come up with a turnover, to make a game-breaking play, to make a difference.

On Friday, it appeared that the sophomore cornerback was the first Husky to enter into some sort of agreement after the NCAA this week granted athletes the right to benefit off their names, images and likeness (NIL).

McDuffie announced on Instagram that he will be working in concert with Yoke Gaming, which enables fans to play video games with athletes. 

Not far behind McDuffie was fellow sophomore cornerback Kyler Gordon publicly shopping his services.  

"As of today I am accepting and considering all business opportunities," Gordon tweeted out.

And such was the new world of NIL and the economic freedoms provided the Husky athlete and collegians everywhere.

While their primary colors are purple and gold, here's wondering if UW football players will resemble NASCAR drivers or PGA Tour golfers with patches and logos on their, helmets, jerseys and pants representing their benefactors?

Here's asking whether Husky quarterback Billy Joe Hobert, banished from college football three decades ago for accepting extra benefits, will simply ask to have his name cleared of all that mess?

To the UW's benefit, it always has had his face visible on a commemorative flag, adorning the outside of Husky Stadium, acting as if nothing ever happened.

USC running back Reggie Bush wants his Heisman Trophy returned to him and his rushing records restored after he was found to have violated the previous extra-benefits standards and stripped of everything more than a decade ago.

While a member of the Trojans, Bush was found to have accepted cash, travel expenses and a home in the San Diego area where Bush's parents lived rent-free for more than a year and for which they were provided $10,000 to furnish.

Meantime, everyone from new Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff and each UW coach has come out in favor of helping athletes use their reputations and performances to benefit and/or ease their financial plight.

With UW athletes limited in their media exposure, with the school choosing who and when they can speak to reporters, here's wondering whether these individuals will decide this. For instance, freshmen are not permitted at all to engage in this manner.

A lot needs to be sorted out.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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