Photo Courtesy of Sheduer Sanders/ Instagram
According to an announcement made by Beats by Dr. Dre on September 1, Jackson State University quarterback Shedeur Sanders has become the first and youngest college athlete to join the Beats’ ambassadorship program.
“I remember getting my first pair of Beats, so this feels full circle,” Shedeur said in an official statement to AfroTech. “I’m excited to be part of a brand that inspires and positively represents the culture, and that’s exactly what I want to do with my career.”
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In an Instagram post sharing the announcement with the world, Beats said, “Welcome to the Beats family, @shedeursanders. This is the beginning of something legendary.”
The Beats team also released a statement sharing the excitement and emotion of the new partnership to reiterate the company’s commitment to incorporating activism through its unique advertising.
Chris Thorne, CMO of Beats, spoke about partnering with the HBCU athlete and said, “Shedeur exemplifies the power of forging your own path and shows us that talent doesn’t equate to a school choice.”
“Beats has always championed those who have the courage to defy the odds, and we couldn’t be more excited to have him on our team,” he added.
Beats is one of the most recent companies to join the movement of college athletes who can now benefit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL).
This opportunity comes as part of the latest move by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to permit student-athletes to gain profit and exposure with the reformed NIL rule.
Sheduer’s partnership is a big move in his goal of following in his father, Deion Sanders’ footsteps, who is known ad Coach Prime is the new head coach for the Jackson State University Jaguars.