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Today’s Case

Michigan's Blake Corum continues Thanksgiving tradition, uses NIL money to buy 600 turkeys

Blake Corum has maximized his NIL in many ways this season. However, this is his greatest partnership.

For the third consecutive year, Corum spent this past Sunday morning handing out 600 turkeys and 600 gallons of milk. Moreso, he is using his hard-earned dollars to give back to the greater Ann Arbor community.

Sunday was Corum’s third annual “Giving Back 2 Give Thanks” event. Additionally, the 600 donated turkeys are an increase of 400 from Corum’s first event in 2021 and 300 from last year.

The recipients of Corum’s good gesture reside in Ypsilanti, approximately 10 miles east of Michigan’s campus. Additionally, since starting the tradition, the event has grown, now featuring a number of sponsors.

Corum: “This is not about me whatsoever. This event, even though it is called the third annual “BC2 Give Back 2 Give Thanks,’ so many people made this happen. It’s more so about a small community that wants to make a difference, and we all come together and make a difference.”

The Verdict

• Giving back to local communities

  • I say this often, but NIL initiatives with community tie-ins are the best partnerships.

    • The athletes do something good + the community receives goods and services = everyone wins.

    • Texas Tech football player Tony Bradford Jr. is also donating 200 turkeys to the Lubbock community.

  • Also, student-athletes don’t need to be a big star to make a big impact; working with non-profit organizations (college town or hometown) have many rewards and can turn into a long-term partnership.

• Carrying on the tradition

  • Although this is his last season in Ann Arbor, Corum notes this tradition will continue next year (and hopefully beyond).

    • Blake’s father James noted that his son has been involved with community service from a young age - and that giving back to those in need is Blake’s purpose.

  • NIL not only brought forth recognition and partnerships for Blake, but the opportunity to do something amazing for local Michigan communities.

• My favorite NIL deal

  • Of all the NIL deals I’ve written about and seen, this is tops. Not only does this give to those in need, but this is the third year of the program - highlighting the importance of long-term NIL partnerships.

    • Additionally, Blake suffered a serious injury near Thanksgiving each of the previous two seasons and still made the effort to distribute turkeys.

Student-athletes; don’t turn down product-only deals!

These partnerships still provide value even if with no monetary compensation. Check out this video for more!

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