Michigan NIL: Jim Harbaugh, players team up with Wolverine Boots

Iconic boot and clothing company Wolverine has partnered with Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and several of his players. Harbaugh, along with quarterback J.J. McCarthy, cornerback Will Johnson, linebacker Junior Colson, tight end Colston Loveland and defensive lineman Mason Graham, will attend a Skills USA event May 4, “national signing day” for high school students. Running back Blake Corum is also part of a larger marketing campaign with Wolverine.

Valiant Management — founded by former Michigan football player Jared Wangler — executed the partnership.

The Michigan coach will “speak to students and inspire them with the same work ethic he is known to instill in his players” at the Bay Arena ISD Career Center in Bay City, Mich., Thursday. SkillsUSA National Signing Day is “designed to support thousands of high school students across the nation as they sign their letter of intent, committing to further their education with a trade program in residential wiring, building trades and renovations, HVAC or plumbing, and more.”

“I’m proud to be a part of this impactful event with the Wolverine brand to celebrate these  students in the same way that student athletes are celebrated for committing to a 4-year  university,” Harbaugh said in a statement. “It’s important to recognize and encourage those who are pursuing careers in the skilled trades as this is a critical industry that keeps our country running. There’s no better place off the field for my players and me to rally around our blue collar work ethic than at SkillsUSA Signing Day.” 

The May 4 event is a “soft launch” of a partnership that will last into the fall. The Wolverines’ team will be finishing up its East Coast team trip that day, with stops in Ohio.

“The partnership with Wolverine and the Michigan Wolverines began because of our shared values around hard work, dedication and grit,” Scott Schoessel, VP of marketing at Wolverine, said. “Coach Harbaugh’s involvement at SkillsUSA Signing Day will amplify our partnership as his attendance will surely inspire and infuse confidence to students across the nation as they embark on their career in the skilled trades.”

Harbaugh has long been involved with and supportive of local youth pursuing educational opportunities post-high school. The Michigan program has partnered with the Horatio Williams Foundation and Michigan Youth Impact Program to benefit the inner-city community.

More information on Wolverine, from a press release: “Wolverine, the 140-year-old boot and clothing company, is on a mission to honor the spirit and  tenacity of the American worker and build the next generation of skilled trades people. Taking pride in crafting durable boots with unrivaled craftsmanship and the highest quality materials, Wolverine is dedicated to serving hardworking people all over the world. Through Project Bootstrap, Wolverine has contributed nearly $2 million over the last 5 years to organizations in support of skilled trades.”

More on SkillsUSA: “SkillsUSA is a nonprofit partnership of education and industry founded in 1965 to strengthen the nation’s skilled workforce. Driven by employer demand, SkillsUSA helps students develop necessary personal and workplace skills along with technical skills grounded in academics. This SkillsUSA Framework empowers every student to succeed at work and in life while helping to close the skills gap in which millions of skilled trade positions go unfilled.

“Through SkillsUSA’s Championships program and curricula, employers have long ensured schools are teaching relevant skills, and with SkillsUSA’s new credentialing process, they can now assess how ready potential employees are for the job. SkillsUSA has nearly 400,000 members nationwide in high schools, colleges and middle schools, covering over 130 trade, technical and skilled service occupations. SkillsUSA is recognized by the U.S. departments of education and labor as integral to career and technical education. It has served nearly 14.2 million members since 1965.”