UCLA QB, Hutto alumnus Chase Griffin appears as witness at Congressional NIL hearing
The star and biggest witness of the Congressional Name, Image and Likeness hearing is former Hutto and current UCLA quarterback Chase Griffin.
The poster boy of NIL has inked more than 30 brand deals during his time in college, including deals with brands like DirecTV, Whole Foods, and JPMorgan Chase. A career backup, Griffin hasn't played much at UCLA, but his dealings had Bloomberg calling him "the undisputed king of college endorsement deals."
Why is Chase Griffin a witness in front of the United States Congress?
Griffin was called as a witness to discuss the issues with NIL and the legislation that some reps have drafted as potential solutions. In both his written testimony and statement, Griffin critiqued Florida Rep. Gus Bilirakis' legislation in particular.
“This bill simply codifies an outdated NCAA business model that Supreme Court Justice [Brett] Kavanaugh wrote ‘would be flatly illegal in almost any other industry in America,'” Griffin said. “If enacted, this bill would deprive another generation of college athletes of a proven and growing pathway to the American Dream.”
Griffin's experience with NIL and pursuit of a degree in legal studies are likely the reasons why he was called to be one of the first player witnesses in the hearing.
Other witnesses included Missouri Valley Conference commissioner Jeff Jackson, Radford volleyball player Meredith Page, Arizona State Associate Clinical Professor of History Victoria Jackson and Michigan softball player Kaitlin Tholl.
Chase Griffin at Hutto
Griffin was a 3-star recruit, committing to UCLA after his junior year. In his final year with the Hippos, he passed for 4,051 yards and 51 touchdowns while leading the Hippos to an 11-1 record, the school’s first unbeaten regular season since 1966 and a spot in the Class 5A Division I regional semifinals.
He set school records in virtually every passing category while amassing 11,093 passing yards and 123 passing touchdowns as a starter.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: UCLA QB Chase Griffin appears at NIL Congressional hearing as witness
