Athlete NIL Interviews: Calvin Adolph II
Could you share some of the NIL opportunities or partnerships you've been involved in?
The more notable companies I have worked with include Crocs, NBC Sports, Amazon Prime Video, Liquid I.V., and Velaasa.
How did you identify and negotiate these opportunities?
I identified these opportunities through either marketplaces, applications found directly on company websites, or directly messaging and emailing marketing executives and representative from companies.
How has NIL impacted your daily life and responsibilities as a student-athlete?
NIL has impacted my daily life and responsibilities as a student-athlete by slightly changing my approach to training and interacting with others. Now, my effort and performance no longer just reflects myself and my university, but also the brands that I represent.
Are there educational programs/tools/events that have helped you better understand the rules and opportunities related to NIL?
Being a student athlete before and during when the concept of NIL became a reality, I took on the liberty of finding out what is NIL and the opportunities that can come with it through NIL newsletters, sports websites, and the NCAA website itself. However, the company I formed last month, Impact Image Consulting, aims to provide education and opportunities to student-athletes who may not be receiving resources through their university's athletic department or collectives. It aims to help bridge the gap in NIL opportunities between Power 5 athletes and not Power 5 athletes.
How do you utilize social media platforms to build your personal brand and engage with your audience? Can you share examples of successful social media campaigns or content that helped promote your brand?
I utilize social media platforms as a way to connect with others, but also build meaningful relationships beyond sports. A recent example, was when I was selected as Athlete of the Month by ZIYNX, a company that focuses on helping student-athletes find post graduate opportunities. This opportunity allowed me to connect with professionals in all aspects of business, entrepreneurship, NIL, and sports.
How have your NIL activities influenced your relationship with fans and supporters?
NIL activities have influenced my relationship with fans and supporters to give us something to bond over beyond sports. I remember when I promoted a company and specifically their line of queso dip as this campaign was published during the Super Bowl. After the campaign, I interacted with my supporters about queso dips and our favorite flavors and preferences. Finding brands that resonate with not just yourself, but your supporters makes the partnerships much better for all parties involved.
What advice would you give to other student-athletes seeking to explore NIL opportunities?
The advice I would give can be explained in sports terms "You must be on the offense." What this means is to not sit back and wait for an opportunity, but rather search for opportunities on marketplaces, social media, and on company websites. What has allowed me to work with many great brands has been my resilience and determination to find opportunities. Other ways can be promoting and utilizing social media more like an influencer by making regular posts, interacting with followers, and keeping a clean, advertisable profile to stand out to companies. You can also seek out education online or those with experience in receiving NIL opportunities.
Is there a college athlete whose approach to NIL you admire? If yes, who and why?
Its hard to name one, but two that definitely come to mind are Jack Betts and Rayquan Smith. Both guys are Kings in their own right and at their respective levels. Jack has been doing great work on securing NIL deals while being a Division 3 athlete and providing NIL education to other student-athletes. Rayquan has secured over 80 NIL deals last time I checked while being also a fellow HBCU student athlete. With all three of us, being owners of businesses in the NIL space and specifically to help other student athletes makes my admiration for them greater.
How has engaging in NIL activities contributed to your personal and professional growth? Have you discovered new interests or skills through NIL opportunities?
Engaging in NIL activities has allowed to me to connect with different professionals in the sports, entrepreneurship, entertainment, and business sectors. It has expanded my network to beyond just being an athlete. I have discovered new interests such as videography, management consulting, and entrepreneurship.
How do you envision your career evolving after college?
I envision my career after college to continue to grow deeper roots in the NIL space and empowering the next generation of student-athletes. With my company being focused on providing education and opportunities, I am currently working towards interacting with high school athletes as my home state of Louisiana, has a very rich talent pool of athletes who will be future college athletes and I aspire to provide them with more opportunities than I had.
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