Football Designers: Personal Brands Becoming Hot Item For Some NFLers

A growing number of NFL players are creating a personal brand in which they "offer merchandise separate from what is available either through the league or their teams," according to Rebecca Davis O'Brien of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. Falcons WR Julio Jones "sells t-shirts, hoodies and caps emblazoned with his personal double-J logo," while Patriots WR Julian Edelman "hawks everything from 'Get Squirrely' t-shirts to his own children’s book as part of his JE11 store." Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski has a "whole line of 'Get Gronk'd' and 'Yo Soy Fiesta' apparel," while Patriots QB Tom Brady "boasts an array of 'TB12' products ranging from workout gear to recovery sleepwear." Patriots TE Martellus Bennett also recently announced the "launch of 'Football Marty,' an apparel line." Bennett last month said, "I just figured that the NFL is making so (much) money off of merch that if I could slide in and get a small percentage of it, I could find a niche market for myself." O'Brien reports the "reality" is that these brands "tend to have a short shelf life." Saints QB Drew Brees launched his "Nine Brand" apparel company in '12, though the brand’s website is "now defunct, and its Facebook and Twitter pages haven’t been active in several years." Other brands that have "gone dark" include Giants WR Victor Cruz' "Young Whales," founded in '11, and former NFLer Andre Johnson's "Team Eighty." Most of the brands also "aren't designed to be big money makers" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 2/3).

TOM TERRIFIC: Brady claimed the top spot on the NFLPA Top 50 Player Sales List, based on total sales of all officially licensed NFL player merchandise from March 1 through November 30, 2016. Brady was the top-ranked player at the end of '15. Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott came in at No. 2. Six QB's ranked in the top 10, including two rookies -- Eagles QB Carson Wentz (No. 5) and Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (No. 8) (NFLPA).