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Good Morning Gators: Mike Peterson, Danny Wuerffel weigh in on NIL

On3 imageby:Zach Abolverdi•04/05/22•

ZachAbolverdi

On3 image
Gator Greats Mike Peterson (left) and Danny Wuerffel. (Photos by Getty Images)

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If name, image and likeness legislation had passed in the 1990’s, former Florida linebacker Mike Peterson is one of several Gators who would have made a killing.

Social media wasn’t around back then to do endorsements on a national scale, but local businesses could have advertised with Peterson as an Alachua County native.

The 1998 first-team All-SEC and All-America selection has returned to UF as outside linebackers coach. And while Peterson appreciates and agrees with players now being compensated, he’s not completely on board with NIL.

“In a way, I’m kind of 50-50 on it right now,” Peterson said. “I definitely agree with the players do need to get paid. I think moving forward it needs to be some type of system set up for them to get paid. I don’t know if it’s something set up once they get their degree, you go four years in school and you can put it in a trust fund or something, I don’t know. But I’m all for the players getting paid. I just, I don’t want it to affect the game. And that’s the thing that I fear now that it may affect the game.”

In what way? Peterson elaborated on his fears.

“Guys choosing schools for the wrong reason, guys forgetting why they play the game,” he said. “You get into this game because you love it, you grew up playing, played it as a kid and so on. Of course, one day you want to do it for a living, and you should get paid for it. But I don’t want the money to get in the way of the love of the game.”

Peterson’s former teammate, Danny Wuerffel, certainly could have landed some endorsements during his playing days at UF. The 1996 Heisman Trophy winner was asked Saturday about NIL and how he would have fared.

“I probably would have done OK,” Wuerffel said with a laugh. “So that is a unique part of the game now, and we’ll see how that unfolds. The combination of NIL and the transfer portal creates a real weird scenario, but I’m sure it’ll sort itself out.”

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