Brenden Rice, son of NFL legend Jerry Rice, recreates iconic Breathe Right ad in NIL deal

Name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals are a fixture of college sports in 2023. Every Utah Utes scholarship football player is leasing a Dodge Ram truck this fall. LSU women's basketball star Angel Reese has eight NIL deals, the latest with Reebok. Fellow women's basketball star Caitlin Clark signed a deal with State Farm. That's just to name a few.

Now, one of the latest NIL deals comes with a family connection: Brenden Rice following in the footsteps of his legendary father, NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, has a deal with Breathe Right nasal strips.

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What is the history of Jerry Rice's ad?

Jerry first endorsed Breathe Right in the early 1990s during his time with the San Francisco 49ers with "Air Jerry" ads . The All-Pro receiver used them during football games and the marketing worked. Los Angeles Times archives note Breathe Right sales went from $2.8 million in 1994 to $48.6 million in 1995. In Super Bowl XXIX, players wearing the nasal strips scored eight of the game's 10 touchdowns, per the Times.

Breathe Right's keeping it in the family with the new deal for both Brenden and Jerry.

“I’ve seen the ad of my dad wearing Breathe Right so many times, and now it’s really cool to be following in his footsteps and working together on this partnership with Breathe Right,” Brenden said in a statement.

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How good is Brenden Rice?

Brenden's enjoying his best college football season this fall with the No. 22 USC Trojans. He's caught at least one touchdown pass in six out of eight games so far. He's second on the team in catches (28) and receiving yards (486) ahead of the Trojans' Week 9 game at Cal.

“He was very raw when he came in here," USC coach Lincoln Riley said on the Trojans Live radio show earlier this month. "He’s always been gifted but he had to really learn to try to put it all together, really become a complete player, more knowledgeable player.”

With that success on the field, Brenden's growing his endorsements off the field. This latest NIL deal with Breathe Right comes after deals with GOAT Fuel (his father's drink company), Centurion Lifestyle, Urban Outfitters, and MoneyLion, per On3. At this rate, another few weeks could see another new endorsement.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jerry Rice's son Brenden signs NIL deal with Breathe Right