Former Kannapolis football star making impact in community with NIL deals

KANNAPLOIS, N.C. — Just weeks after it was announced high school athletes could soon profit off their name, image, and likeness, North Carolina is saying “not so fast.”

The State Board of Education put NIL eligibility on hold while it reviews whether it had the legislative authority to pass the rule this summer.

However, college athletes have already found opportunities through NIL, finding opportunities long after school.

A Kannapolis football star showed Channel 9′s Madison Carter how he turned local fame into an opportunity to shine a light on his hometown.

Brock Morgan played football for A.L. Brown and gained notoriety after pushing for a name change at a local elementary school. He is now in his sophomore year at Howard.

“I played here, you know, my mother went to high school here and my grandmother went to high school here. So, you know, Kannapolis is really home for me,” Morgan said. “It’s just a love. It’s just a love for the city, you know?”

Morgan decided to try knocking on business doors and dropping off proposals to businesses in the area. He ended up proposing a deal with Sabor owner David Deal in downtown Kannapolis.

“So he came in and we suggested, you know, doing some Facebook posts and social media posts, things of that nature with our branding, talking about our food,” Deal said. “And, you know, the guy doesn’t come into the restaurant without ten friends behind him. So it was an easy, easy deal to come to.”

It started out as an opportunity to make extra money for Morgan.

“It just struck me as an opportunity, hey, these businesses are out here,” Deal said. “You know, if this money is here, why not go make it?”

Deal is impressed that Morgan wanted to make an impact in his hometown.

“The fact that the next generation or obviously that might be a little or two more generations down the road is looking at this place the same way,” Deal said “It warms my heart and it means something to me.”

Morgan hopes other athletes pursue deals of their own.

“Ether way, you’ve got to got to shoot a shot and got to got to see what’s out there,” Morgan said. “And the worst they can say is no.”

Morgan has signed a total of 11 NIL deals in the past year and told Channel 9 he is in the process of renegotiating and expanding to new ones.

Tips for athletes

TIP 1: HAVE A CONTRACT DRAFTED

Morgan: If the money’s out there to be made and, you know, the opportunities are there and they’re willing to put in the work, put in the effort to write a contract that they feel like can represent them and represent a potential business, I say, go get it. I love it.

TIP 2: HAVE IDEAS FOR WAYS YOU CAN REPRESENT THE BRAND

Morgan: If there’s a shirt they want me to wear, if they want me to pose in front of their logo, there’s a product they want me to hold or use that kind of thing.

TIP 3: HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR VALUE AND HOW YOU CAN ADD TO THE BRAND’S VALUE

Morgan: Talk about how it’s going to benefit them, but most importantly, talk about how it’s going to benefit you also.

TIP 4: HAVE A DOLLAR FIGURE IN MIND AND BE READY TO NEGOTIATE

Morgan: we would agree on a price and then it would go out to my social media.

TIP 5: HAVE BUSINESSES IN MIND YOU WANT TO TARGET

Morgan: Don’t be shy. You know, don’t be afraid to shake hands. Don’t be afraid to, you know, walk people through it, talk people through it.

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