NIL allows Alabama football players to get teammates extra swag

By WVUA 23 Sports Reporter Paige Riley

NIL has taken helping your teammates out in college sports to another level.

Earlier this month, cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry and quarterback Jalen Milroe used their Name, Image and Likeness deals to score the entire locker room custom made Beats by Dre headphones.

The headphones have the custom “Script A” displayed and the color crimson.

Beats can range from $130 to $200 per pair. A typical college football roster has up to 125 players, and luckily for McKinstry and Milroe, the deal with Beats allowed them to not spend a dime on the gifts.

“The team was very happy that we were able to get them beats,” McKinstry said. “I heard some people on the team saying they were getting ready to go buy headphones for the season. So me and Jalen feel like we came at the right time to get the team beats and it made me very happy to look out for the boys and do something for the team.”

A tradition of helping teammates has always been emphasized at Alabama. Just last year, Heisman winning Quarterback Bryce Young made the same deal with Beats to gift the team headphones as well.

“We got some last year I like those too. But I really like the ones this year because it got like the A on the side so I think the design was better,” said linebacker Chris Braswell. “But we appreciate Kool-Aid and Milroe for doing that for us. I love beats by the way I always wear them on Gameday.”

NIL rules allow college student-athletes to be able to sign promotional deals with larger companies.