You probably could have guessed that Georgia head coach Kirby Smart would be asked about name, image, and likeness. It’s a hot topic in college sports. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey called for federal guidelines in his speech on Monday.
What you most likely didn’t expect, however, was that Smart would reveal a conversation with rap star and Georgia fan Quavo about the name, image, and likeness rules changes.
“The first text I got was two weeks after NIL started and it said, coach, please tell the players that they are picky about who they are branding with. Don’t just do something, ”said Smart. “He used the term“ thirsty ”. Don’t be thirsty. Be selective about what you do and how you deal with your branding. ”
Georgia’s defensive lineman Jordan Davis told reporters he didn’t think his head coach could name a single song that Quavo appeared on.
He also gave perhaps the best line ever spoken about NIL.
“I am confused, to be honest. It’s a lot, ”said Davis. “But yeah, I haven’t really done anything. My main focus is on playing because you can’t get a NIL deal if you’re not good at football. So the main focus is on playing football. “
Davis added that he was grateful for the opportunity to make money using his own skills now. Smart repeated that feeling too.
But the Georgia head coach was also quick to remind people of some of the pitfalls that come with the law changes.
“We # 1 can’t arrange deals, so our focus is on education,” said Smart. “We spend a lot of time in education. Imagine you are a young man aged 18, 19, 20, 21 and you are now paying taxes. Okay, you have a selection process of what I do and what not to do and those are big decisions. And then also time management. “
Smart believes that much of the NIL discussion will calm down once everyone is used to the new normal. The Georgia head coach announced that parents have asked frequently about Georgia’s own NIL plan for aspiring athletes.
These recruitment questions are one of the reasons Smart would like to see a federal NIL policy as well, as opposed to the current structure which differs from state to state.
“Do you want the people who make decisions to go to school on the basis of state law?” Was asked rhetorically. “Or do you want children to make decisions about going to school, what is the best education, the best football program. The best decision for your family shouldn’t be based on NIL.
A number of players have already made deals including Kendall Milton, Kenny McIntosh, Zamir White, Jack Podlesny and quarterback JT Daniels.
The Georgia quarterback shared his own thoughts on the matter as he is possibly one of the most marketable players on the Georgia team.
“I think for me, and really a lot of the people I’ve spoken to, it’s pretty difficult to do something about it since it came out on July 1st,” Daniels said. “So we are fully in season mode. I wish I could tell you more about NIL, but it’s just not a big focus for a lot of the people I’ve talked to. “
There is still much that is unknown when it comes to how NIL changes will affect sport. The questions go well beyond recruiting and the impact on the changing room.
And Davis, one of the biggest personalities on the team, perfectly illustrated the potential and pitfalls that come with these changes.
“The fact that Quavo talked about NIL shows you how great this thing is and how easy it is to put yourself off the main goal,” said Davis.
