NIL Goes Political — UT-Martin QB Signs With District Attorney General Candidate

If you’re tired of the ever-expanding mixture of sports and politics, you’re going to hate this next story.

University of Tennessee-Martin quarterback Dresser Winn has recently agreed to a Name, Image, and Likeness deal with local district attorney general candidate Colin Johnson. Johnson, a longtime friend of the Winn family, is running in the 27th district of Tennessee, which covers Weakley and Obion counties.

Thank you to life-long supporter, and candidate for District Attorney General for the 27th Judicial District of Tennessee, Colin Johnson, for coming to my camp this weekend!

Elections are in August, so make sure you are registered to vote!#Vote #CJforDA #SponCon #endorsement pic.twitter.com/z44B1Sv9xU

— Dresser Winn (@dresserwinn) May 23, 2022

Though the race appears to be nonpartisan, the Winn-Johnson deal is likely the first politically-oriented NIL agreement of its kind.

Which doesn’t bode well for the future. SEC head coaches Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher unleashed all kinds of heck last week, accusing one another of unsavory NIL deals that amount to cheating. The last thing the world of college sports needs is politicians entering the fray and polluting the NIL process even further.

In the meantime, Winn, now a graduate student, will focus on promoting his favored candidate and securing the starting QB spot in the fall. He has already played in 21 games over the past five years and has a solid chance of earning the top spot with a strong performance in fall camp, according to brobible.

FB: Check out the eventual @UTM_FOOTBALL game-winning touchdown as Dresser Winn finds Donnell Williams for a 37-yard score at Missouri State! pic.twitter.com/jiSXbYJa5u

— UT Martin Athletics (@UTMSports) November 28, 2021