Top NFL Draft WR prospect Marvin Harrison Jr. has signed a multiyear endorsement deal with New Balance, according to Aaron Dodson of ANDSCAPE. Harrison joins Saints DE Chase Young and Texans DE Will Anderson Jr. as the "only three players to represent New Balance in the NFL." The brand “handpicked Harrison to headline the first cleats in the brand’s 118-year history designed specifically for American football." The debut New Balance “Fortress” and “Prodigy” models will be “unveiled Thursday in Detroit ahead of the first round of the NFL draft,” in which Harrison is projected to be a top-5 pick. During his rookie season, Harrison will “wear the low-cut skill and speed silhouette, named the ‘Prodigy.’” Harrison said the process “didn’t begin for me until after last season.” Harrison: “Once I started joining meetings, New Balance and I connected on a different level.” He added, “There’s value, for sure, in being the face of a brand, especially one entering the football world. But, it really just gives me an opportunity to be out there and inspire the younger generation.” Harrison notes New Balance asked him what he “liked in a cleat” and could tell “they wanted to make sure they could deliver what was best for me.” Harrison said if a “signature shoe is the direction New Balance and I decide to take, that would be great” and would “definitely be an honor to have my own signature shoe" (ANDSCAPE, 4/23).
