Texas Longhorn Track Star Signs "Dream" NIL Deal with Red Bull

NIL powerhouse Sam Hurley details what adding the energy drink leader to his diverse brand portfolio means to him

Texas athlete Sam Hurley hugs a coach before competing in high jump finals at the 2023 NCAA outdoor track and field championships on Friday, June 9, 2023 at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas. / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Red Bull is the global leader in the energy drink space and has been quite selective in partnering with college student-athletes on NIL deals. The past few months however, they brand has begun building out their small but mighty roster with superstar athletes on and off the playing field.

Joining recent signees - defending women's basketball national champion MiLaysia Fulwiley of South Carolina and freshman wide receiver sensation Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State - is a Texas All-American track athlete who is a force in the social media game as well.

Sam Hurley - who described Red Bull as a "dream deal" - has more than 3.5 million followers on TikTok and 1 million on Instagram is one of the most prolific NIL athletes across college sports. From partnerships with the likes of Raising Cane's, Hollister, DICK's Sporting Goods, Passes and TurboTax, among others, Hurley - who is represented by WME Sports - has shown the country that any athlete can dominate in NIL, not just the traditional football or basketball stars.

With eyes on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Hurley looks to continue to build out his social media following and content skillset while still dominating in the high jump and pole vault.

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Sports Illustrated's NIL Daily On SI spoke with Hurley about his "dream deal" with Red Bull, what he's most excited about, his NIL legacy and what advice he has for the next generation of student-athletes.

Why was Red Bull a dream deal for you?
"Red Bull goes back further than any any brand I can remember. I mean, I remember growing up watching all the Red Bull athletes. I grew up like loving extreme sports and I used to watch all of my favorite skaters, who were Red Bull like Ryan Sheckler. All of my favorite snowboarders and even surfers were always Red Bull."

"So to me, it's like, 'oh, to be cool, you've got to be with Red Bull.' Like that's just step one. As I got older and started learning more about Red Bull and actually understand what's going on - not just thinking that they're just cool and that their athletes are cool - this brand's really cool. They do the craziest projects and they have the best support for their athletes."

What are you most excited about with this partnership?
"I think just the the opportunities that we could create together. I have a lot of ideas of cool stuff to make and Red Bull has them as well. They try their very hardest to make it a reality. No idea's too crazy for them. So I think just having that support and the team behind being like 'hey, let's do this, let's make it real,' I'm just excited about that because it's like, whatever I can dream of or think of or what I would love to create, they have my back and they're like, 'let's get it. Let's go.'"

How will you incorporate Red Bull into your daily training routine?
"I already have it in my routine every day. I practice a couple times a day and I need a little bit of caffeine. I need a little boost. Red Bull is always there. It's been in my routine since before I was an
athlete. It's just the most genuine partnership to me. Everyone needs a little something sometime throughout the day and Red Bull is the best."

What is currently your favorite Red Bull flavor?
"I drink the regular Red Bull and Sugar Free the most. But Coconut Berry is my
favorite right now. I go through like seasons where - like since it's just summer, Coconut Berry was like my go-to like every day - before then, it was Blueberry. Before then, it was Tropical. Overall, my favorite is Sugar Free."

Sam Hurley / Red Bul

What do you want your NIL legacy to be after you're done with school?
"That NIL success is possible outside of the mainstream sports. A lot of people say, 'oh, you know, if you're not a football player, don't waste your time.' But that's just not true at all. That's just kind of like a little give-up excuse. Anyone can do it, you just have to build. Build it like anything - everything great or everything hard takes time - it takes effort. I want people to see through me that anyone can do it."

"You just gotta go for it and not listen to the 'it's only football, it's only basketball' talk. Start really posting content. Really build a following and you'll be able to make a bunch of money. Then everyone's gonna be like, 'oh, it is possible, now I'm gonna do it.' So I mean the tables could turn any day. We've got to get out of that mindset of it's just football and basketball and understand that everybody can. So I think that I can make a big help and a big difference on that."

What are you future goals on the track?
"Number one is the 2028 Olympics. That's been number one since I was a child. But that's three and a half years away. For the time being, I want to win more than one national championship. I want to win one in high jump and one in pole vault. I want be the very first track and field athlete to be an All-American in both high jump and pole vault - nobody has ever done both so I want to be the first. I want to win SEC championships and national championship in both and then go pro."

What do you hope to achieve off the track?
"Off the track, I want to continue to build my audience, continue to grow on social media, post cooler, more 'me' content because I think that as a content creator, I always want to be as authentic as possible and I really want to be able to find a way. Right now, it's a little bit hard with being a college student still, so I'm trying to develop a way to kind of show more of me without just like a 10 second video. I want to to show who Sam Hurley is more and let people understand that off the track and outside of like who I am and what I do."

While Hurley's final track season for Texas doesn't kick off for a few months, expect him to still be a force in the content and NIL game in the meantime.