Caymanian Olympian Davontè Howell, 19, has officially signed a Name, Image and Likeness – often referred simply as NIL – agreement with Adidas, a world-renowned German sports brand.
The deal, which became official on 5 Feb., is one that Howell said, “allows me to represent them as a brand while competing in the collegiate circuit … until the end of my collegiate career”.
Howell, a junior at the University of Tennessee, describes the partnership as “a great opportunity”, noting, “it’s a pathway into the professional side of track and field, so I’m blessed to be … given an opportunity like this”.
Howell joins an expanding roster of athletes under the adidas NIL umbrella and shared that “the talks with Adidas began after NCAAs 100-metre final last year.”
Reflecting on the partnership, Howell said, “Adidas is a very good brand, and I’ve used them in the past. I used them during the 100-metre of the Pan American Games.”
Sharing some insight, Howell said, “I get gear, financial compensation and a few other incentives from Adidas during the duration of the [NIL] deal.”
As stated in an ESPN article, an NIL “refers to a person’s legal right to control how their image is used, including commercially. In college, student-athletes have long been prohibited from making deals to profit from their fame, so they forfeited their NIL rights by signing on with college sports teams.”
In 2021, changes in National Collegiate Athletic Association rules and state laws gave NIL rights to college athletes, allowing Howell and thousands of others to benefit from deals of this nature.
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