Name Image Likeness

Rutgers Star Dylan Harper Surprises Team with NIL Bomber Jackets

Dylan Harper showcases leadership by gifting teammates personalized NIL bomber jackets for the holidays

Noah Henderson

Dylan Harper gives away NIL bomber jackets to his teammates
Dylan Harper gives away NIL bomber jackets to his teammates / NIL Store
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Rutgers men’s basketball star Dylan Harper surprised his teammates with personalized bomber jackets to celebrate the holiday season. The standout guard is only a freshman, but by taking care of his teammates, he is exemplifying leadership behavior early in his career. 

This season, Harper has been the best player on the highly touted Rutgers team. With Big Ten conference play beginning in the new year, Harper is doing everything he can to elevate team chemistry before cementing his collegiate legacy in what is likely his only collegiate campaign before heading to the NBA. 

As part of his NIL partnership with the Rutgers NIL Store, part of the broader NIL Store Network, Harper was able to provide customized jackets bearing both the individual names and numbers of his teammates, as well as Rutgers branding. 

As the son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper and the younger brother of former Rutgers standout Ron Harper Jr., Harper’s lineage has made him a marquee name in college basketball. His play this year has already proven that he can fill big shoes, averaging 23.3 points per game and earning Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors twice. 

His impressive points per game total is bested in the high-major ranks only by Villanova standout Eric Dixon and has been enough to propel Harper to have the eight best odds to win this year’s Wooden Award. 

Fans can join the team swag by purchasing their own bomber jackets. Every Rutgers men’s and women’s basketball player will have their own edition of the jacket available for purchase. As part of a limited pre-order window, orders must be placed by January 7, 2025.

In the NIL era, leadership has taken a new form. With the backing of NIL brand partners, athletes who receive the spotlight can elevate their image by spreading wealth and attention with other players on the roster. Harper has proven to NBA scouts that he is capable on the floor; his actions off the floor indicate that he understands how to handle the dynamics of being a superstar at any level of play. 

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Noah Henderson
NOAH HENDERSON

Professor Noah Henderson teaches in the sport management department at Loyola University Chicago. Outside the classroom, he advises companies, schools, and collectives on Name, Image, and Likeness best practices. His academic research focuses on the intersection of law, economics, and social consequences regarding college athletics, NIL, and sports gambling. Before teaching, Prof. Henderson was part of a team that amended Illinois NIL legislation and managed NIL collectives at the nation’s most prominent athletic institutions while working for industry leader Student Athlete NIL. He holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law in Urbana-Champaign and a Bachelor of Economics from Saint Joseph’s University, where he was a four-year letter winner on the golf team. Prof. Henderson is a native of San Diego, California, and a former golf CIF state champion with Torrey Pines High School. Outside of athletics, he enjoys playing guitar, hanging out with dogs, and eating California burritos. You can follow him on Twitter: @NoahImgLikeness. 

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