NIL NETWORK INSIGHTRecap: Former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel recently acknowledged that he “may or may not” have signed autographs for payment while in college. He stated that he was approached by a stranger and was paid $3000 before being given the number for another stranger who would pay him $30,000. He thinks he signed around 10,000 pieces of memorabilia for that payment.Observations: An additional benefit of permitting athletes to monetize their NIL is keeping them out of shady situations like Manziel’s. They won’t have to go to a stranger’s hotel room to sign gear. They can openly negotiate rates (like perhaps more than $3/autograph for a Heisman Trophy winner). While athletes will definitely need to be cognizant of contracts they’re signing, hopefully NIL reform will create a safer space for the deals that have been occurring under the table for the past few decades. Former Texas A&M quarterback and 2012 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel apparently cashed in on his stellar redshirt freshman season almost immediately after taking home college football‘s most prestigious individual honor. Manziel told Barstool Sports that he made $30,000 in a signing session, notably one he participated in during the week of the 2013 BCS Championship Game in Miami following the 2012 season. “I got to make somewhat of a decent living in college,” Manziel said.Manziel indicated that he “may or may not” have signed up to 10,000 pieces of memorabilia at the condo of a man who approached him on the street. That man, according to Manziel, paid him $3,000 for the items. While he was signing the items, another man approached him in the condo and told him that he was getting ripped off, giving him the number of another man who would pay him $30,000 for a signing session.READ MORE
