Inside the NIL: Beaux Collins creates brand, learns about business along the way |
CLEMSON – The photographer wanted to take a candid shot of Clemson wide receiver
Beaux Collins eating a slice of Mellow Mushroom pizza, but Collins couldn’t hide his trademark smile or the laughs when his girlfriend, Tiger softball star Alia Logoleo, made wisecracks about the process. That smile, a set of grounded parents, and Collins’ humility make him the perfect example of why the NIL has a chance to work in college sports.
Collins, who hails from California and played at the same high school as quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, made his collegiate debut last weekend in the Tigers’ 49-3 victory over SC State, catching three passes for 36 yards. His playing time will increase as he learns the nuances of the college game, and while he isn’t a star (yet), his time will come. When the new rules were introduced that allowed college athletes to take advantage (monetarily) of their own name/image/likeness, many saw it as a vehicle for the stars to make big money. For the Collins family patriarch, D'Andre Collins, it was an opportunity to show his son how to use his skills to run a business, to design a brand, to learn the kinds of skills you’re supposed to learn in college. It was a day that D'Andre had been planning for. “I was anticipating it, only because of all the publicity about it, and I knew how it would affect my son,” D'Andre told TigerNet. “You know, all the youngsters, all the college athletes were looking forward to this day. It's been talked about way back during the O’Bannon years. So, my thing was, how can I help my son the right way, as a dad? And here we are. We're here.” He wanted his son to learn life skills, and that NIL isn’t all about the money -- it’s about relationships. “I want him to learn how business works. You can knock on doors. You can try to get this,” D'Andre said. “Don't compare yourself to anyone else. Be who you are. Do what you do as far as the sport being a college athlete and everything else will come. Don't make it about money. It's more about relationships. We proved that today, building great relationships.” Beaux saw a chance to team up with the local pizza restaurant. “It was just a pretty good opportunity. I was blessed to be able to connect with some guys on a little marketing deal,” Beaux said. “And they were able to get me the deal as well, so it was just a pretty good opportunity. There are a lot of things I can learn from this. One, just be patient, as far as business goes. Don't overstep your boundaries. And first, you have to produce. So, as a football player on the field, we have to produce, and the opportunities will come to us. So, we just can't be too money-hungry, and all money isn't good money.” D'Andre knew his son liked to eat there, and he decided to see if a partnership could be made. That led to my meeting the family at the restaurant one day last week, where D'Andre had a few hats waiting for me and a few others to see. From the photographer to the ready-made gear to the contracts ready to be signed, it was obvious this had been a process that was well thought out. “Believe it or not, it was him coming here liking to eat,” D'Andre said of Beaux and his new partnership's start. "Dining certain places. Then I took it upon myself to reach out to somebody that can make a connection to Mellow's corporate. And it went that direction. So as a dad I told him, worry about your academics and your sport. Just give me a list of what you want to target, and let's go from there. And here we are. It worked.” D'Andre now works as an educator but spent several years working with music icon Quincy Jones and film producer Mario Kassar. It was during those years he learned about marketing a name and a brand. The family decided to use Collins’ Clemson number – 80 – to create the “GR80NE” identity. Beaux wore No. 88 in high school, but that was taken by current tight end Braden Galloway. The No. 80 gave the family an idea. “Now that number 80, we played with it, with those letters and it worked perfectly. So, when it comes to his brand, it's because you can see he's very marketable,” D'Andre said. “Well spoken. And as a parent, I and my wife and his brother and sister said, ‘You know what? Let us get on this end of all of this and push this machine because it doesn't last forever. And let's see where we can go with it.’ “Living in Los Angeles and having experience in the entertainment industry, I know you’ve got to keep, keep, keep pushing at it and something's going to give. I've sat in board meetings, I've been around celebrities, I've been around marketing, and I know that you need everything covered in order to be successful. Meaning management, you need a team. It can't be an individual. And that's what makes it work.” The entire family is excited about the opportunity. “Very much pleased. I've actually told my son his time is coming. There's no rush, he's just a freshman,” D'Andre said. “But he's eager, which we want him to be. But as a dad, I couldn't be more than happy. I'm more than happy. Me and my wife, we're in awe of all of this, to watch his growth. Because by him coming from the West Coast to here, that takes courage and he's displayed nothing but that. So that's why you might see us more often than not supporting his endeavor. His goal -- not our goal. It's Beaux's goal to be successful. And this is going to go by so quick.” It’s something that Beaux dreamed of growing up. “It happened a little sooner than I thought it would growing up, but being able to see my family in my gear and family and friends in my gear is just a blessing,” Beaux said. As for his new sponsor, Beaux takes another bite of his pizza and lets the world know his opinion. “It's a place I've come to with some friends, really good pizza. I love pizza,” he said. “So Mellow Mushroom is just a cool, chill environment. You can come eat some pizza with friends, watch games, and just enjoy yourself.” Excited to announce my partnership with Mellow Mushroom this season! #OutofthisworldPizza pic.twitter.com/sU4obCyH7X Beaux Collins NIL No. 80 brand cap, is a great start for merchandise to come. Thank you Mr. David Hood! @beaux_collins @tyler_co__ @CamVCollins @boscofootball @MellowMushroom @PrioritySports @COACH_T_BULLOCK @chrisflores0321 @parkers_tiger @MDavidHood https://t.co/ifvnyDKqqY (For anyone wanting to check out the brand of Beaux Collins, you can email your inquiries on the Gr80ne product [No. 80 caps and "TEAMBEAUX" tshirts] to Gr80ne@att.net.)
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