LSU Baseball Player's NIL Deal With Crocs Turns Heads
Some athletes wear lucky socks. Jake Brown? He wears Crocs. And now, the LSU Tigers star has turned his off-field fashion statement into a full-fledged NIL win by partnering with Crocs in a move that has fans buzzing and teammates styling.
Advertisement
The deal didn't start with an agent or a contract, it started with Brown's love for quirky, customized Crocs, from Star Wars-themed Jibbitz to Pizza Planet prints. After Brown mentioned his passion for the iconic slip-ons in an interview during the Tigers' 2025 College World Series run, Crocs came calling.
'They reached out and they said, 'Hey, we're looking forward to sending you a little bit of stuff. Just send us your address,'' Brown told Hurrdat Sports.
'They messaged back right away saying, 'We actually want to hook up all the guys… we can overnight ship them to the hotel.' I was like, 'Absolutely. Yes. Please do that.''
What followed was pure NIL magic. LSU's team strolled into Game 1 of the CWS final against Coastal Carolina decked out in fresh Crocs, with Brown at the center of it all. His message to the team group chat, 'Everyone send me your Croc size.'
Advertisement
The Tigers went on to win 1-0, led by a dominant shutout from pitcher Kade Anderson, who struck out 10 across nine innings. Confidence? Style? Luck? Whatever it was, it worked.
'I didn't think they thought it was going to happen,' Anderson said. 'In about five minutes, the group chat just, boom, boom, boom. It was blowing up.'
A few days later, LSU clinched its second national title in three years with a 5-3 win in the Men's College World Series finals. Brown may not have thrown the final pitch, but his NIL savvy helped unify a locker room and earned him one of the most unique deals in college baseball.
The Crocs origin story? Even better.
Advertisement
Brown used some of his NIL cash to grab themed pairs and design ideas for a custom LSU-inspired version.
'I have Pizza Planet-Toy Story Crocs that I bought with per diem money thanks to Champ Artigues, our baseball ops guy… I love my Crocs,' he said.
© Dylan Widger-Imagn Images
He even pitched Crocs a Louisiana-style collab: gator and pelican Jibbitz, purple and gold themes, and of course, a Tiger or two.
In a crowded NIL landscape where logos and car deals often dominate the headlines, Jake Brown's Crocs moment feels fresh, authentic, and fun. It's a reminder that NIL isn't just about the money. Sometimes, it's about the magic of being seen, being yourself, and sharing it with your team.
Advertisement
So, what's next?
If Crocs and Brown roll out that LSU-themed pair, fans, and maybe future recruits will be lining up to walk in his shoes.
Related: Oregon QB Turns NIL Into Detroit Dreams
Related: NIL Struggles Far From Over After NCAA's House Settlement
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Geek Tyrant
4 minutes ago
- Geek Tyrant
Mr. Fantastic and His Powers Were Underutilized in THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS; He Deserved Better — GeekTyrant
The Fantastic Four: First Steps missed a huge opportunity with one of Marvel's most visually creative superheroes. Reed Richards, aka Mister Fantastic, is supposed to be a stretchy powerhouse with abilities that defy the laws of physics. In the film, though, those powers are barely touched. What should've been a display of inventive, wild, and over-the-top visuals turned into a muted, limited showcase that felt more like an afterthought than a highlight. Now, credit where it's due, the film did a decent job of portraying Reed's intellect and leadership. He's thoughtful, composed, and clearly the brain of the group. But that's only half the picture. In the comics, Reed has a subtle charm and awkward charisma that makes him both relatable and admirable. That side of his personality was barely explored. He didn't need to crack jokes or go full Tony Stark, but a bit more emotional depth and nuance would've made him feel more alive. The biggest letdown, though, was how the film's creative team handled his powers. Mr. Fantastic can stretch, mold, twist, flatten, inflate… you name it. There are comic book moments where he's used his body as a net, wrapped himself around massive cosmic entities like Galactus, and turned into practically any shape needed to solve a problem. But in the film, his powers a very underutilized and limiting. At one point in the film we are watching Galactus strech Mr. Fantastic like a rubber band and he's screaming in pain. When you see how far is stretching ability goes in the comics, Galactus stretching him like that shouldn't have been an issue for him because it was nothing compared to what we've seen him do in the comics! We barely see any of those cool visuals from the comics in this film. His action moments are stiff and uninspired. Instead of showing Reed's resilience, it just made him look weak. The movie ignored everything fans know about how cool and versatile his powers really are. The creativity behind Reed's abilities is what makes him stand out in the superhero landscape. His power set should be a director's playground. You can do so much with the elasticity and adaptability of his body, yet the movie seemed afraid to go there. We didn't see him shape-shift in creative ways, use his body as a shield or slingshot, or even do something as simple as multitask with extended limbs in a high-stakes moment. They kept his abilities small, which is the opposite of what Mr. Fantastic should be. At the end of the day, The Fantastic Four: First Steps didn't give Mister Fantastic the treatment he deserved. His powers were underused, his moments of brilliance were too few, and his potential was left on the table. Reed Richards is a genius, yes, but he's also a one-man Swiss Army knife of superpowers. Hopefully, future film will fully embrace what makes Mister Fantastic truly fantastic.
Associated Press
5 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Old friends, new rivals: 49ers set for reunion with Greenlaw and Hufanga
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — It will be reunion week for the San Francisco 49ers when they welcome some old friends for a joint practice and exhibition game against the Denver Broncos. Denver signed away two of San Francisco's top defensive players in the offseason, giving big deals to linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga. 'I love seeing them,' Niners coach Kyle Shanahan said ahead of the joint practice. 'I don't really like practicing or playing against guys that I really like and have a lot of love for, but I (will) enjoy seeing them.' Greenlaw and Hufanga are not the only prominent former 49ers now playing in Denver. Defensive tackle D.J. Jones is entering his fourth season with the Broncos after starting his career in San Francisco and former Niners first-round tackle Mike McGlinchey is in his third season with the Denver. Greenlaw and Hufanga will likely get the most attention this week. Greenlaw was the emotional leader of San Francisco's defense since being drafted in 2019 and the torn Achilles tendon that knocked him out of the Super Bowl following the 2023 season and most of last season played a big role in San Francisco's defensive decline. Hufanga, a fifth-round pick in 2021, was an All-Pro the following season before injuries hampered him in his final two seasons with the Niners. Both got lucrative contracts in free agency that San Francisco was unwilling to match as the Niners spent the offseason trying to get younger and cheaper on defense. The new-look defense that could feature as many as eight new starters this season gets one of its first big tests this week and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is excited to see how his young players fare. 'The challenge now is going to be a completely new opponent with no preparation because we're not preparing for Denver,' Saleh said. 'We're just lining up. Just throwing it on the field and seeing how they play. So, we're really excited to see how it goes and fully expecting some lumps along the way. But one thing is for certain, I do think that their competitive drive is going to be there.' Shanahan typically likes joint practices but had to cancel his only session last summer against New Orleans because the Niners were dealing with too many injuries. San Francisco also will hold a one-day joint practice next week before playing the Las Vegas Raiders. 'I think it's really valuable,' Shanahan said. 'Sometimes you can't do it. I'd always would like to do it. I'm more excited just going against someone once. In the past I've always done two days, and I'm always really excited by the end of the first day. I'm always wishing we didn't have to go the second day. So, kind of glad we're ahead of that on this. It's always good to go against different schemes too. Different players. We're going against each other every day. Same guys, same scheme. It gets a little bit old and it's a good way to switch it up.' Shanahan said the second day of joint practices sometimes leads to fights as the team that fared worse on the first day comes out more aggressive on day two. Shanahan said he and Broncos coach Sean Payton will script out the session ahead of time and that Denver will offer a stiff challenge thanks to one of the league's top defenses and a strong offensive line. 'I think the Broncos have a very good team,' Shanahan said. 'They were sneaky good last year. You could see them improve throughout the whole year. They got a bunch of good, young talent and they had a bunch of good players already. So, I expect them to be one of the better teams in the league this year.' ___ AP NFL:
Bloomberg
5 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
McDonalds' Sales Rise Due to Pop Culture-Focused Collaborations, Budget Meals
Bloomberg Markets TV Shows McDonald's Corp. sales picked up in the latest quarter, suggesting that pop culture-focused collaborations and budget meals are helping to offset diners' economic anxiety. Bloomberg's Michael Halen reports. (Source: Bloomberg)
