An NIL Opportunity Prompts Penn State Athletes to Make an Impact

LVHN's Impact Athlete initiative features current and former Nittany Lions, including Jahan Dotson and Sean Clifford.

Jahan Dotson, the record-setting Penn State receiver and Washington Commanders rookie, insisted that one of his first endorsement contracts represented home.

He began playing football with the Nazareth Clippers youth program in eastern Pennsylvania, won his first championship there, and sought to remain close to the community. So Dotson signed with the Lehigh Valley Health Network's Impact Athlete program, which offered a chance to support young athletes in the region.

"It was very important to have the Lehigh Valley in the game and behind this," Dotson said. "This is where it all started. They've been backing me forever. The Lehigh Valley means to much to me that giving back with little things like this, means a lot for me, too."

Dotson debuted as an Impact Athlete in July by hosting a youth football clinic not far from the field where he won that first championship. He shared the stage with former Penn State teammates Sean Clifford, Nick Dawkins and Jake Wilson, all of whom are part of a unique program.  

Dotson is one of several high-profile athletes representing the LVHN program, which has made a significant impact in its first fourth months. The Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute, which sponsors the Impact Athlete program, has signed Dotson and Atlanta Hawks guard Tyrese Martin (a graduate of Allentown's Allen High) as professional athlete representatives.

But the Impact Athlete initiative also has signed Name, Image and Likeness deals with several college athletes, including Penn State football players Clifford, Dawkins and Wilson, who appeared at the clinic. Clifford and Dawkins also will appear at a clinic in Scranton on July 23, along with fellow Nittany Lions Ji'Ayir Brown, Dominic DeLuca, Curtis Jacobs, Keyvone Lee and Parker Washington.

Steve Hultgren, director of sports performance initiatives at the Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute, said the Impact Athlete program offers local athletes something that most crave: the chance to give back. At the same time, it provides athletes with the opportunity to make money while making an impact.

"That’s why we created this program," Hultgren said. "A lot of collegiate athletes want to give back, but they also need to make money. They have the opportunity to benefit off their names, and there’s a lot of programs where guys are getting paid thousands and thousands of dollars to basically do nothing. To show up, sign a couple autographs and that’s it.

"No, make a true impact in your community. That’s what we based our NIL program on. You’re supporting a local athlete, you’re giving back to your community and you’re benefiting off your NIL. So it’s a true impact."

Hultgren, who said college athletes are among the most influential people in their communities, called the fit with Penn State a natural. Dawkins (Parkland High) and Wilson (Nazareth High) played locally, while Clifford is among the highest-profile college athletes in Pennsylvania.

After working with Dotson, Hultgren said he and Clifford began having conversations about joining the Impact Athlete program. Clifford, who runs his own NIL agency, called Dotson recently with the news about joining his camp.

"Honestly, I had no idea until Sean hit me up one day and said, 'I'm going to be part of your camp,'" Dotson said. "I said, 'Let's do it.' And obviously Jake and Nick are big in the community, so having those guys here as well is awesome."

Hultgren said the Impact Athlete program plans to sign more athletes to NIL deals. In fact, he said college athletes have been messaging him asking how to join.

"Quite honestly, it's not about money," Hultgren said. "These kids truly want to give back. This isn’t a massive spokesperson agreement where these guys are getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars. It has nothing to do with money. These kids are reaching out.

"Nick Dawkins said, 'Whatever I have to do, I’ll be here, I want to be an LVHN Impact athlete.' That was that conversation. 'I want to give back to my community.'"

That's how Dotson felt. And he wants to conduct more camps like these.

"I was in these kids' shoes not too long ago," Dotson said at his camp. "I can remember the days I was playing for the [Nazareth] Clippers and the fun I was having. So if I had this opportunity, I would have been right there and tried to make the most of it."

Washington Commanders receiver Jahan Dotson (left) was joined at his youth football clinic by Penn State's Sean Clifford, Nick Dawkins and Jake Wilson. All represent Lehigh Valley Health Network as Impact Athletes :: Mark Wogenrich/AllPennState

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