The Toledo football program does not shy from selling the NFL dream.
And why would it?
Inside its training complex, the long, second-floor hallway lined with photos of former Rockets in the pros is fast running out of room. The Mid-American Conference’s most prolific football factory has produced six NFL draft picks in the past four years and counts more than a dozen alums currently in the league.
It’s a big-time recruiting pitch if there ever was one.
But it’s not the only pitch.
Because it bears repeating: Even for the biggest high school stars, there is more to life than football. Most former Rockets, of course, will not earn their living on Sundays. And those who do? They are but passing through. The average NFL career lasts 3.3 years.
What comes next?
It’s with that question in mind that Toledo football announced on Thursday it is partnering with a leading sports marketing expert to help their athletes build their personal brands.
I must admit, I was a little hazy at first on exactly what this meant.
What, was Toledo trying to build a team of Instagram influencers?
But the reality is a little less sensational and a lot more productive. In this era of athlete empowerment — and as the NCAA moves toward allowing college players to profit from their name, image, and likeness — Toledo’s collaboration with Jeremy Darlow, a brand consultant and the former director of football and baseball marketing for adidas, aims to help its athletes fully leverage their college experience.
Toledo players will go through weekly video lessons with Darlow, and graduate from the course with their “own personal brand marketing plan.”
“Every athlete, regardless of the sport they play or the conference they play in, is an influencer,” said Darlow, who is providing his services at no cost. “How influential depends on the work the individual puts in to build and differentiate their name from the competition. When it comes to brand development, brains can beat budget, but only if you put the work in.”
Think of Darlow as the Aaron Rodgers of the game away from the game. He’s worked with several top universities — Michigan, Notre Dame, and UCLA, to name a few — and everyone from, well, Rodgers, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and soccer superstar Lionel Messi to Snoop Dogg and Kanye West.
Paging through one of his books, Athletes Are Brands, Too, he encourages players to be smart but bold, offering advice on ways to break through the clutter, including on social media.
Sure, I’m guessing some of his strategies go over better in the pros than college.
For instance, I appreciated him encouraging athletes to “throw shade,” as in identifying and playing up a rivalry.
“We love rivalries, and rivalries build brands,” he wrote. “Fans and the media can’t get enough of them. Conversely, if it’s not a rivalry, if there isn’t a little bad blood, we don’t care. Every single one of you has a rival, but we only care about a few of them. Pick one and make us care. Work together and throw some shade. ... While the door closes on those who choose to play it safe, a window opens to the few brave enough to stir the pot.”
Bowling Green, you’ve been warned! (Hey, a writer can dream.)
In any case, Darlow is a fascinating guy, and I applaud Toledo football for being open to new ideas that help their players, especially for life after the stadium lights go dark.
Darlow told me he once worked with the incoming rookie class of a prominent NFL team, “and in my first sit-down with each athlete,” he said, “I asked a simple question: ‘If you weren’t playing football, what would you want to do?’ At least 75 percent of those young men could not answer the question. In many cases, they would look me in the eyes and say: ‘Football is all I know.’”
Toledo coach Jason Candle wants to make sure his players continue to have better answers.
“For so many years we identify ourselves as athletes,” he said. “You go on social media you’ll see a bunch of pictures of guys in their uniforms because that’s what they’ve known to be their brand. But there’s so much more.
“Future employers, they know all the great things that come along with being a Division I college athlete. They know about the discipline. They know about the commitment, the time management, the dealing with adversity. But they don’t necessarily know who a guy is and the unique qualities he brings to the table. This is a unique way to equip our [team] for life after football and a way to bring a resume to life.”
First Published July 2, 2020, 2:17 p.m.
