Behind the Scenes of Choosing Athletes Like Trayce Jackson-Davis to Represent Hoosiers For Good NIL Deal

Fourteen Hoosier student athletes were tapped to represent Hoosiers For Good, a new non-profit organization that partners student athletes with charitable organizations across Indiana as part of an NIL deal. Hoosiers For Good executive director Tyler Harris explains how the organization chose these future community leaders to spread awareness for their respective charities.

Haley Jordan | Apr 14, 2022

USA Today

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Fourteen Hoosier student athletes including Trayce Jackson-Davis, Mackenzie Holmes and Jack Tuttle have signed an NIL deal with non-profit Hoosiers For Good for their spring semesters.

"NIL is here to stay," executive director of Hoosiers For Good Tyler Harris said. "What could we do about it that benefits everyone?"

Harris said Hoosiers For Good was born off of an idea from Pete Yonkman, the president of Cook Group and Cook Medical in Bloomington who is also now the chair and president of Hoosiers For Good.

Yonkman wanted to find a way to positively impact and shine light on great charitable organizations in Indiana.

By early March, Hoosiers For Good was created. Harris is the sole executive director and works with six board members and some additional officers. Fourteen student athletes were added to the team and matched with various charities to promote throughout the semester.

"I think we've got a great first class," Harris said. "It's really diverse. It's really in line with our values."

Below is a list of the 14 athletes and their respective charities signed with Hoosiers For Good:

Riley Children's Foundation - Brittany Ford - Softball

Indiana Wish - Mackenzie Holmes and Grace Berger - Basketball

Turnstone and Stop the Violence Indianapolis - Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson - Basketball

Indiana Region of the American Red Cross - Matthew Bedford and Jack Tuttle - Football

RecycleForce - AJ Barner and Shaun Shivers - Football

Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington - Anne Fowler, D.J. Matthews Jr. and Taiwan Mullen - Swimming and Diving and Football

Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County - Camryn Haworth and Jordyn Levy - Volleyball and Soccer.

Harris said the organization is aiming to have 14-15 athletes each semester.

"I really wanted to make sure the student athletes we were bringing on board as Hoosiers For Good athletes really did care and genuinely wanted to add value to our charitable partners," Harris said.

Harris used to serve as the Head of the Compliance Office at Indiana and interacted with several student athletes in that role. Harris said he got to know many different athletes and what they were passionate about off the court, field or pool.

"A lot of them really talked about their passion of doing good and charity work," Harris said.

Through an interview process, Harris wanted to find 14 student athletes that were passionate about using NIL for good. It became clear the selected athletes were and would move forward with being matched to a charity.

On March 8, Hoosiers For Good had partnered with five charities. Now that number is up to eight and continues to grow after plenty of media attention that has shone a light on the new organization.

Harris said several charities have already reached out to him asking if they can participate. He said in the future as the organization continues to grow, he hopes both the student athletes and charities will get more of a say on who they are matched with.

Other schools like Clemson, Kentucky and Ohio State have followed suit and developed their own charitable collections. Although Harris said Hoosiers For Good can't take credit for serving as the prototype, this is the goal of the organization: to support a thriving community led by student athlete leaders supporting various charitable causes.

Under the Hoosiers For Good NIL deal, the student athletes will be responsible to uphold their duties in order to receive their compensation.

"There will be a certain number of appearances that are required with their charitable partner, and then they'll be required between 12-14 social media posts," Harris said. "A lot of those are for promoting their charitable partner."

Harris said appearances could consist of autograph signings, photo opportunities and public speaking depending on what the charity requests. Hoosiers for Good might also have their own appearances each athlete will attend.

"They're not a show up for two minutes, wave and leave," Harris said. "This endeavor is really going to require them to add value, genuinely learn and make an impact."

The compensation is not one size fits all as the $470,000 compensation provided by donors will not be distributed evenly but based on certain metrics.

For example, name recognition, social media influence and national exposure each athlete generates for their charity could all contribute to determining each athlete's NIL compensation.

"Some people love NIL," Harris said. "Some people don't. The reality is NIL is here, so we can do it in a way that's going to develop community-minded leaders and also make a big impact on our charitable partners."

Hoosiers For Good also offers a charitable incubator program where student athletes who haven't quite established their voice or platform can submit a proposal and learn how to support a charity of their own too.

"I think it's been really well-received," Harris said. "Student athletes are passionate about this, and charitable partners are excited too."

Mackenzie Holmes

Indiana's Mackenzie Holmes (54) shoots in front of Princeton's Abby Meyers (1) during the second half of the Indiana versus Princeton women's NCAA second round game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Monday, March 21, 2022.

Grace Berger

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Tomi Taiwo (1) tries to stop a shot by Indiana Hoosiers guard Grace Berger (34) during the second quarter of the BIG Ten women's championship game Sunday, March 6, 2022, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Jenna Watson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

Matthew Bedford

Oct 31, 2020; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) throws the ball as Indiana Hoosiers offensive lineman Matthew Bedford (76) blocks against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the second half at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Jack Tuttle

Nov 13, 2021; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Jack Tuttle (14) before the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Jordyn Levy

Indiana forward Jordyn Levy (9) holds back Purdue defender Skylurr Patrick (31) during the second half of an NCAA women's soccer match, Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021 at Folk Field in West Lafayette. Nikos Frazier / Journal & Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK

Trayce Jackson-Davis

Mar 17, 2022; Portland, OR, USA; Indiana Hoosiers forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (23) dunks the basketball against the Saint Mary's Gaels during the second half during the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Race Thompson

Mar 17, 2022; Portland, OR, USA; Indiana Hoosiers forward Race Thompson (25) is defended by Saint Mary's Gaels forward Kyle Bowen (14) and forward Matthias Tass (11) during the first half during the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Tiawan Mullen

Oct 30, 2021; College Park, Maryland, USA; Indiana Hoosiers defensive back Tiawan Mullen (3) before the game against the Maryland Terrapins at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

AJ Barner

Purdue safety Sanoussi Kane (21) breaks up a pass intended for Indiana tight end AJ Barner (88) during the third quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021 at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette. Nikos Frazier / Journal & Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK