Iconic Advertisements We’d Like To See Penn State Student-Athletes Featured In
As of Wednesday morning, college athletes may finally be able to cash in on their likeness.
The NCAA Board of Governors supported a possible rule change that would allow college athletes to receive compensation from “third-party endorsements.” This would mean athletes could financially benefit from personal appearances, advertisements, and even become social media influencers.
This possible rule change still needs to be considered by all three divisions of the NCAA, and nothing will be in writing until the end of October. After that, a vote will take place no later than January 31, and the rules could be implemented for the 2021-22 seasons.
We know it’s kind of a long way from becoming official, but that didn’t stop us from considering how this could change the lives of Penn State athletes. Without further ado, here are our picks for what advertisements we’d like to see Nittany Lions featured in.
Sean Clifford: The Breakfast of Champions
I mean come on, who wouldn’t want to eat a cereal with QB1 on the box?
The leader of Penn State football’s offense would without a doubt fit perfectly on a Wheaties box, and I’m sure plenty of Nittany Lion fans (young and old) would buy the cereal.
The only thing better than winning the Heisman Trophy is clearly being the cover athlete on a box of the famous cereal, and I think it should be Clifford’s very first endorsement deal if this rule passes.
Sam Coffey: Nike
The Penn State women’s soccer team has been one of the most consistent and successful athletic programs in Happy Valley over the past several years, so it only makes sense that the team’s leader does a commercial with Nike.
Coffey scored plenty of key goals for the Nittany Lions throughout the 2019 season, so it’s fitting that a picture of her scoring is paired with one of the most iconic logos and slogans on the planet. It’s not hard to imagine this one on a billboard somewhere in Happy Valley or sold as a poster to soccer fans around the country.
Jordan Stout: Head & Shoulders
I think this one is pretty self-explanatory.
While he may not be on the same level as Pittsburgh Steelers legend Troy Polamalu (yet), Stout could absolutely be the next great spokesman for Head & Shoulders.
That slogan quite literally writes itself. Not only does Stout kick long-range field goals on a regular basis, but if his gameday flow is any indication, he clearly doesn’t have any problem kicking dandruff out of the way either.
In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Stout uses Head & Shoulders (and none of that two-in-one crap either). Those luscious locks don’t come without a little hard work.
Now that his flow bro Blake Gillikin is headed for the NFL, it’s clear that the Virginia native has the best hair on the team. Head & Shoulders needs to do the right thing here and feature Stout in a new advertisement campaign.
Jarod Verkleeren: Rogaine
Unlike Stout, Verkleeren isn’t exactly leading the way in the hair department. The wrestler even admitted that Rogaine should hit him up for an ad campaign on Wednesday morning.
Just imagine if Verkleeren returned for the 2020 season with a full head of hair. He could be featured in plenty of commercials for the men’s hair regrowth treatment.
While they’re at it, Rogaine should even include Cael Sanderson in the commercial.
Micah Parsons: Micah Knows
Famed dual-sport athlete Bo Jackson was featured in one of the most iconic ad campaigns ever with the “Bo Knows” commercials of the late 1980s, and I think Parsons would be a perfect fit for a reboot.
Parsons is clearly one of the most athletically-gifted players on the Penn State football team, as he’s been reported to run a 4.41-second 40-yard dash and led the Nittany Lions with 109 tackles in 2019. He’s expected to have an even bigger junior campaign, and was featured as a top-ten pick in several 2021 mock drafts.
What are some of the things that Micah does in fact know? Well, spikeball, wrestling, and returning kicks are just a few of the fields that the linebacker specializes in.
Guy Gadowsky: The Most Interesting Man in the World
I know Gadowsky isn’t a college athlete, but the men’s hockey head coach is an absolute stud and deserves a commercial of his own. In my opinion, there’s no better place for the coach to start at than “The Most Interesting Man in the World” for Dos Equis.
Gadowsky is obviously a pretty interesting guy, and he’d be perfect for this ad campaign. The charming, well-spoken head coach could document his adventures in State College as the head coach for the Nittany Lions’ hockey team, and finish off his day with a lovely Dos Equis.
Stay thirsty, my friends.
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