Kentucky's JJ Weaver explains how NIL, Nike helped his 'Perfect Fit' brand

Kentucky linebacker JJ Weaver has become an inspiration to anyone who was born different and wants to play football.

Weaver was famously born with six fingers on his right hand, and it’s become one of the biggest talking points for the Wildcats defender. While it used to be tough for him to find gloves to find his hand, Weaver and his mother reached out to Nike, and the rest is history.

Nike helped Weaver by making a glove that fit his six fingers, and partnering with him and his Perfect Fit brand. At SEC Media Days in Nashville on Wednesday, Weaver explained how it all came together.

“With Nike, me and my mom, we sat down and we talked about, something about my hand, because I used to put like, two — two pinkies in one glove, you know,” explained the Kentucky linebacker. “So me and my mom ended up contacting Nike, we ended up making a name for it called, ‘A Perfect Fit,’ because it’s a perfect fit for my hand, for the gloves. So they made me an extra six-fingered glove.”

Alas, sometimes all it takes is reaching out. Check out Weaver showing off that unique hand of his below, shared to Twitter by Tyler Thompson of KSR.

Kentucky's JJ Weaver shows off his six-finger hand. He and his mother worked with Nike to create "The Perfect Fit" six-finger gloves for others who also have an extra finger on their hands. pic.twitter.com/Et8kWnitUu

— Tyler Thompson (@MrsTylerKSR) July 19, 2023

Continuing, Weaver elaborated on how he used to be picked on for his hand growing up, but now it’s become a source of pride for him, allowing him to help his community in various ways.

“When I was growing up, you know I used to get picked on a lot, you know being different,” added Weaver. “You know, people didn’t see it growing up. Plus we was kids. Kids were ugly, making fun of me and stuff like that. But I grew up, got bigger than everybody. They couldn’t make fun of me no more. Started playing football. Got into it. Loved it. Then went to the University of Kentucky, they helped me and that’s when I started expressing myself. I went to an elementary school, craziest thing ever, two kids had six fingers. They never seen me — a football player, have six fingers. I blew up ever since then.

“I end up talking to kids now, for my platform I do. My logo is, ‘A Perfect Fit,’ that’s what I call myself going around, and I’ve been helping the community out. On the 30th, I’m having a bike drive. I bought like 100 bikes for the kids, me and my mom, and we give all 100 away. Just riding around Louisville, Kentucky on bikes.”

JJ Weaver seems like a special young man, and Kentucky has a good one on defense, both on and of the field in the linebacker.