THE ATHLETE = THE BRAND
The most talented athletes from football and men’s basketball have already cashed in on huge NIL deals. But athletes don’t have to play the popular sports to make money with the new laws; all it takes is for them to simply be themselves.
L ‘Boogz’ Simpson is a defensive back for the USC football team. ‘Boogz’ is well known on campus and on Instagram with nearly 14,000 followers, but not for his work on the field. He is the founder and CEO of the Take No L’s clothing brand. He has also named himself the brand’s first NIL sponsored athlete.
Simpson believes he’s cracked the code on how to thrive in the NIL era.
“You can’t spell NIL without the L.”
Whether or not it’s a play on words about his name, he’s right — Likeness is referring to an athlete’s visual identity, and the traits that define who they are.
Likeness is more important than talent. The name ‘L Boogz’ is bigger than ‘L Simpson.’ But he realizes that the only way to profit at this stage of the new era is to be a brand instead of an athlete.
Simpson has gotten the opportunity to see many high profile athletes wear his clothing, both college and pro. He’s given hoodies to hip hop artists and celebrities. While some of this can be credited to playing basketball at Sierra Canyon and football at USC, Simpson believes it’s mostly due to his humorous personality and “go after it” attitude.
So far, the athletes that have benefited from NIL deals aren’t necessarily the Heisman contenders or the March Madness heroes. It’s the athletes that understand there is no set formula to success and aren’t afraid to get creative.
“With this new format, there is no box of what you can do,” said Simpson, “Jack likes to stay in the box, but I’m not Jack.”
Olivia Dunne is a gymnast at Louisiana State University who’s become one of the top earners of the NIL era so far. Her fame started on TikTok and has grown to all social media platforms, leading to sponsorships with clothing brands such as Vouri and American Eagle. In April 2023, she announced that she would be featured in Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Edition.
But whether it’s social media or starting their own business, athletes are set up better than ever for a future that doesn’t involve playing sports. He’ll still be in college for a few more seasons, but Simpson already believes clothing is his future.
“I want to continue to grow my business and get it sponsored,” said Simpson, “but mainly, I just want Take No L’s to be everywhere and apply to everything, not just sports. You might have a final tomorrow, or a job interview and you don’t want to take an ‘L.’ The possibilities are endless.”