Oregon Quarterback Gabriel Uses NIL to Gift Jerseys for High School Alma Mater
Dillon Gabriel’s name has been known in the college football community for quite some time. Now an Oregon Duck, Gabriel will exhaust his NCAA eligibility in the upcoming 2025 college football season. The quarterback is a holdover of a different generation; beginning his journey at UCF in 2019, Gabriel played two full seasons before NIL compensation dominated national headlines and topped the list of priorities for recruits. However, just because his career started in a different era does not mean the 23-year-old is not hip to NIL and the transfer portal. This Friday, Gabriel will leverage his deep catalog of NIL partners as a positive force in his home community.
Mark your calendars! 'I'm Inspired' is happening May 3rd! Let's come together to support Mililani High School and its athletes! pic.twitter.com/aPDWxfSPlb
— Dillon Gabriel (@_dillongabriel_) April 3, 2024
The I’M INSPIRED event will take place at Mililani High School, Gabriel’s alma mater. The free event will have food and music and build up to Gabriel’s main event, where he will unveil new jerseys for the school’s football team. Many brands have jumped at the opportunity to team up with Gabriel, including Nike, who will provide the new jerseys for the Mililani program. Also contributing to the event are Raising Cane’s, Hawaii Pacific Health, McDavid, Riddell, EvoShield, Baden Sports, and many more.
Gabriel’s philanthropic efforts towards Mililani High School extend beyond the I'M INSPIRED event. In a previous act of generosity, he provided sneakers to the basketball program. Gabriel shared in an interview with On3, “It’s been easy for me and super natural because this is something that I’ve always wanted to do. When NIL started out, I just gave sneakers to the basketball team and accessories. Super small, right? If we look at it in, in this case, it’s a small thing, but it could change somebody’s life. It could completely impact somebody’s life… I realized when I got to college – like the access to resources and how much growth I was able to have – I want that same thing for kids at Mililani High School so that more kids can get to college or play college athletics and set themselves up for success in the future.”
Seeing firsthand at UCF, Oklahoma, and Oregon the positive athletic benefits of a well-funded program, Gabriel understands the power he holds. While nothing provided by Gabriel will turn athletes into Division I talent overnight, investment into the next generation has ripple effects that can help provide the platform for talent at Mililani to reach its highest potential. Gabriel outlines a template for many other college athletes to deploy. Leveraging the strength of your personal brand, even in small ways, to help local communities can foster the next generation of athletes. Influence, especially in the NIL world, is currency, and using that social power for good is not only commendable but effective.
NOAH HENDERSON
Professor Noah Henderson teaches in the sport management department at Loyola University Chicago. Outside the classroom, he advises companies, schools, and collectives on Name, Image, and Likeness best practices. His academic research focuses on the intersection of law, economics, and social consequences regarding college athletics, NIL, and sports gambling. Before teaching, Prof. Henderson was part of a team that amended Illinois NIL legislation and managed NIL collectives at the nation’s most prominent athletic institutions while working for industry leader Student Athlete NIL. He holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law in Urbana-Champaign and a Bachelor of Economics from Saint Joseph’s University, where he was a four-year letter winner on the golf team. Prof. Henderson is a native of San Diego, California, and a former golf CIF state champion with Torrey Pines High School. Outside of athletics, he enjoys playing guitar, hanging out with dogs, and eating California burritos. You can follow him on Twitter: @NoahImgLikeness.