Redshirt freshman Jared Casey became an instant folk hero in the state of Kansas during this past Saturday’s stunning upset win over the Texas Longhorns. With the Jayhawks going for the two-point conversion to win the game in overtime, the walk-on fullback reeled in a pass to seal the game at 57-56 in favor of Kansas.
Now just a few days later, Casey is reaping the benefits of his late-game heroics.
As reported by Kansas insider Jesse Newell, the Jayhawks’ savior is shooting local TV ads for Applebee’s.
KU football walk-on Jared Casey already getting some NIL work in after Saturday’s game-winner vs. Texas. Shooting TV ads today for Applebee’s commercials to run in Kansas. pic.twitter.com/F06XHaXz1H
— Jesse Newell (@jessenewell) November 16, 2021
When the NCAA first introduced its new name, image and likeness (NIL) rules earlier this year, the change was only expected to affect the elite players around the college sports world. But, Casey’s story is a prime example of how anyone can capitalize on these new opportunities.
Heading into Saturday’s game against Texas, Casey had never logged a single offensive snap in his collegiate career. Walking out of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium after the game, he’d given the Jayhawks their first win over the Longhorns in Austin in program history.
The parents of Kansas’ walk-on freshman FB Jared Casey reacting to his game winning catch to beat Texas 🥲❤️ pic.twitter.com/ccpRNequa3
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) November 14, 2021
Before taking the field this past weekend, the Jayhawks were 31-point underdogs and had just one win on the season. With a winless season in 2020, the last time the Kansas program had more than three wins in a season was all the way back in 2009.
Despite these struggles, the program will no doubt remember this fairytale upset for years to come.
The post Look: Kansas Football Walk-On Signs Awesome NIL Deal appeared first on The Spun.
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