Texas Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson is a star on-and-off the field.
If you are familiar with Longhorns football, you would know that Robinson is arguably the best at his position in all of college football. But his off-the-field success begins and ends with his ability to sign NIL deals with companies like Rhoback and Lamborghini, and he even entered the condiment industry and launched “Bijan Mustardson”, which is already gaining a ton of momentum on social media.
Robinson recently spoke to the media about his approach to NIL.
“Now that it’s here, it’s good for us to start learning the business side of things,” Robinson said, via On3.com. “It’s important for me to understand and what fits best for me. I just think that it’s a good thing that college players are being able to get paid now and not just get paid money, but really learn behind the business things that they want. And then making those relationships. Relationships are important. Whenever those relationships come across my face, I think that I need to take advantage of it and understand this can build something for something greater as time goes on in my life.”
Robinson continued: “It’s definitely a blessing that we have it now. I think that when people see — when other kids see the luxuries for me, it gives them an opportunity to give something for themselves now that we get to, like, make our name known in another light other than football.”
Robinson is definitely making money through NIL, but what he’s doing with his earnings is something special. He recently donated more than $3,000 worth of backpacks to the Austin Harmony School of Excellence.
And prior to Texas’ game this past weekend against Alabama, Robinson presented each of his teammates with a pair of burnt orange Beats by Dre headphones.
It’s clear that Robinson is making a difference while using NIL as his platform.
“That kind of stuff right there is what means the most to me,” Robinson said. “Those kids can’t afford a lot of things and they’re struggling to get a backpack. Like, one girl came up to me and was like, ‘Hey, I don’t have a backpack,’ and I was like, ‘Man, just a backpack.’ We take for granted a lot of different things, but when they can’t afford a backpack, I feel it’s an issue that we need to settle up. For me, I thought it was important to just give them all something that they can appreciate and something that they don’t have to buy, but it’s something coming from me and it’s coming from my heart. But when I talked to those kids, especially the football team, I wasn’t trying to talk to them to be the role model or the Bijan Robinson that they see on television or on social media.
“I was just trying to be a friend to reach out from me to them so they can feel where I’m coming from and understand me the most. That kind of stuff is what means the most to me.”
