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Shedeur Sanders Gets Saucy With Latest NIL Deal

PLB Sports & Entertainment’s first name, image, and likeness partnership makes the Jackson State QB the face of his own “#2 BBQ Sauce.”

Jackson State Tigers quarterback Shedeur Sanders is off to a blazing start to his sophomore season. The QB has completed 75% of his passes and thrown 14 touchdowns in three games, but this week, his game just took on even more flavor.

On Wednesay, Sanders and PLB Sports & Entertainment announced the creation of Sanders’ own #2 BBQ Sauce. The name, image, and likeness partnership will be the first signed by PLBSE, best known as the company behind Doug Flutie’s Flutie Flakes cereal.

“I’m very picky with my sauce,” Sanders told Boardroom in a Zoom interview. When asked for an explanation as to how it tastes, he starts laughing.

“That’s the thing. You just have to get it yourself and you’ll be like, okay, I see why you like it,” the JSU signal-caller said, noting that he’s far from the only fan of his #2 BBQ sauce — he also has the approval of the entire Sanders family, from father Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders to brother and teammate Shilo.

https://twitter.com/ShedeurSanders/status/1575123756409724930?s=20&t=e_m9skhA9MAlO04imJ83cg

An official press release notes the sauce is a tomato-based, molasses-style BBQ sauce with vinegar and cayenne heat and a hint of smokiness.

As an added bonus, a portion of the product’s proceeds will be donated to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund as part of the deal.

Image via PLB Sports & Entertainment

Outside of the Flutie Flakes, PLBSE is no stranger to creating products for athletes and entertainers. Other goods, PLBSE has had a hand in creating include cereals from Patrick Mahomes (Mahomes Magic Crunch), Josh Allen (Josh Jaqs), and Barstool Sports (Pardon My Flakes ), as well as Diggs 14, a hot sauce series from Stefon Diggs.

“PLB Sports and Entertainment is proud to partner with Shedeur Sanders and assist him in
building his brand at retail,” PLBSE CEO Ty Ballou said in a release. “We see this as just the start for Sheduer at retail, and we look forward to seeing his brand continue to grow and expand.”

Sanders’ new sauce is merely the latest deal for the player that has been raking in NIL dollars early and often. The Jackson State QB already has pacts with Beats by Dre, Gatorade, Oikos and Brady Brand.

As far as NIL partnerships go, Sanders is one of the most forward-facing athletes in all college athletics. He was even nominated as Male Athlete of the Year at the NIL Awards in June.

Photo via PLB Sports & Entertainment

“Growing up, I saw firsthand the power of branding,” Sanders said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to creating the Shedeur Sanders brand and with NIL and PLBSE, I’m able to start sooner than I ever imagined.”

The sauce’s packaging touts Sanders’ number and image and will be available at PLBSE.com, as well as locally at the Jackson State University student store and Kroger locations around the Jackson, Mississippi community.

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Randall Williams

Randall Williams is a former Staff Writer at Boardroom specializing in sports business and music. He previously worked for Sportico, Andscape and Bloomberg. His byline has also been syndicated in the Boston Globe and Time Magazine. Williams' notable profile features include NFL Executive VP Troy Vincent, Dreamville co-founder Ibrahim Hamad, BMX biker Nigel Sylvester, and both Shedeur and Shilo Sanders. Randall, a graduate of "The Real HU" -- Hampton University — is most proud of scooping Howard University joining Jordan Brand nearly three months before the official announcement.

About The Author
Randall Williams
Randall Williams
Randall Williams is a former Staff Writer at Boardroom specializing in sports business and music. He previously worked for Sportico, Andscape and Bloomberg. His byline has also been syndicated in the Boston Globe and Time Magazine. Williams' notable profile features include NFL Executive VP Troy Vincent, Dreamville co-founder Ibrahim Hamad, BMX biker Nigel Sylvester, and both Shedeur and Shilo Sanders. Randall, a graduate of "The Real HU" -- Hampton University — is most proud of scooping Howard University joining Jordan Brand nearly three months before the official announcement.