NIL first: UT-Martin QB Dresser Winn announces candidate endorsement

In what is believed to be the first time a college student-athlete and a political candidate have struck a NIL deal, University of Tennessee-Martin quarterback Dresser Winn announced he was supporting Colin Johnson in his run for District Attorney General in the 27^th Judicial District of Tennessee.

Two NIL experts said the deal is unprecedented and they’ve never seen something like this since Name, Image and Likeness was first allowed by the NCAA on July 1, 2021.

Winn confirmed he signed a NIL deal with Johnson. Winn also said he wore Johnson’s campaign shirt during his football camp this past Saturday at Hardy M. Graham Stadium in Martin, Tenn. Winn also said he will be a part of Johnson’s ad campaign via social media posts. Winn said he was a supporter of Johnson before the NIL deal. The terms of the agreement were not released.

“Thank you to life-long supporter, and candidate for District Attorney General for the 27th Judicial District of Tennessee, Colin Johnson, for coming to my camp this weekend,” Winn said in a social media post. “Elections are in August, so make sure you are registered to vote!”

Winn used #Vote #CJforDA #SponCon #endorsement in the post. He said he was “just made aware that I was the first” student-athlete to use NIL as an endorsement for a candidate.

“Colin is a lifelong friend and has always supported me in all of my endeavors,” Winn told On3. “It was a no-brainer to help support his candidacy and encourage my followers to register to vote. So glad we could be the first of this kind of NIL deal with such a good person.”

Will Dresser Winn’s NIL endorsement impact voters?

Darren Heitner, a lawyer and NIL advocate who helped craft the state of Florida’s NIL law, agreed the deal was a first. There was speculation by several NIL experts that more of these types of deals could happen with election season right around the corner. However, it’s also unclear whether or not these types of deals will move the needle with voters.

“I suppose anything is possible,” he said. “If there’s value for the politician and the athlete is aligned in ideology, then why not? It could rub some fans the wrong way if they support a different candidate or party.”

In 2021, Dresser Winn threw for 438 yards, completed 49.5% of his passes and threw two touchdowns for the Skyhawks. In 2018, Winn threw for 1,601 yards and 12 touchdowns. Winn was a three-star quarterback originally coming out of Dresden (Tenn.) High School in the Class of 2017.

Dresser Winn’s agreement it’s not the million-dollar type of NIL deal that rocked the college football world. But it’s still rather significant for the student-athletes involved. That’s especially true for players at FCS schools and players in sports other than football and basketball where full scholarships aren’t offered to student-athletes.

“Small market athletes still have a platform,” Sports and entertainment attorney Dale Hutcherson said in a social media post. “They can change NIL landscape in unique ways.”