Jackson State's Antwan Owens Becomes 1st D1 Player to Sign NIL Contract

The race to see which college athlete will become the first to sign an endorsement deal as the NCAA's name, image and likeness policy takes hold on Thursday is over, though the winner may be in dispute.

Jackson State defensive end Antwan Owens staked his claim to the title by agreeing to a sponsorship deal with 3 Kings Grooming. Owens signed with the Black-owned hair product company in a midnight ceremony in New York City, according to Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated. 

“Somebody pinch me!” Owens told Dellenger. “This is something that’s going to be life changing, generationally life changing.”

It's unclear how much Owens will earn from the deal.

All across social media on Wednesday, college athletes offered up their services—or advertised for upcoming events once NIL is officially enacted. 

Arguing over which player signed a deal first may become a fun talking point, but the larger goal of athletes finally getting to profit off their name, likeness and image is a victory for college stars every where. 

Owens is one of the first examples, and he will be far from the last.