Alabama football receiver is first to announce NIL deal

al.com

Alabama wide receiver Traeshon Holden became the first Tide football player to announce a marketing deal early Thursday morning, shortly after state and NCAA rules were loosened to allow college athletes to be paid for endorsements.

Holden, a sophomore, posted a message to Instagram shortly after midnight saying he was partnering with Yoke gaming, an app that allows people to play video games with athletes.

“We are COLLEGE ATHLETES… We are building our brands and working everyday to be the best student-athletes we can be,” Holden’s post read. “We finally have the chance to get paid for marketing opportunities. This is my first paid post announcing I’ve joined @yokegaming. All fans can now game with me on the @yokegaming app. All athletes DM me and I can help you get set up and let’s get PAID.”

Holden, who did not record any stats as a freshman last season, also announced a deal with a graphic designer on Instagram who edits photos for athletes and recruits.

With more than 28,000 followers on Instagram, Holden has among the most social-media leverage to monetize his account on Alabama’s football team.

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Several Alabama athletes have posted a nearly identical message to their social media accounts in recent weeks inviting contact about business deals.

However, not all players seem interested in the potential revenue opportunity. Freshman defensive lineman Monkell Goodwine posted Wednesday to Instagram,

“I’ve decided that i will not be focusing on the name image and likeness, yet I will focuse [sic] more on the upcoming season on and off the field.”

Junior safety DeMarcco Hellams and sophomore linebacker Demouy Kennedy posted an identical message to Instagram reading, “Don’t let that NIL distract you from the bag you really supposed to be chasing.”