U-M's Joel Metzger is one of the first Battle Creek athletes to get NIL deal

The story of college sports in the past year has been NIL — the shorthand for revamped NCAA regulations that allows college athletes to make money based on their name, image and likeness.

There are college athletes in all sports, at all levels, who are getting money because of NIL, over and above any scholarship or school funding they receive.

One of the first instances of an local athlete dipping a toe in the NIL pool in association with a local business is Lakeview High graduate Joel Metzger, who is a member of the University of Michigan football team.

Metzger has an NIL deal that will go through the summer with locally-owned Sunshine Toyota, for an undisclosed amount of funding.

The partnership came about because of the relationship between the Metzger and Brian Robins, Purchasing Operations Manager at Sunshine Toyota in Battle Creek.

"I've known the Robins family for awhile, so I reached out to see if they were interested," Metzger said. "They said they are big Michigan fans and thought it was a good idea."

Most of the NIL stories college sports fans might be hearing about are centered around big-time recruits who are reportedly getting hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions, for going to a certain school.

This is not what this is.

Metzger is a walk-on on at Michigan, which means he's not on scholarship. A Battle Creek business saw an opportunity to support a local athlete who might need a little help with rent for housing or to buy a couple meals.

"I like the idea of supporting a local kid and doing something to help a kid stay in school a little bit longer," Robins said. "We aren’t doing anything incredibly luxurious, but I like him, he is part of local sports and I think it's great that Sunshine has the ability to support someone like him.

"If it's a situation like, if dorms aren’t serving foods on Sunday nights, and he isn't coming home for the weekend because he has to stay and train, and if what we give him can help him get some food here and there, great."

So now, Metzger has social media posts tagged "Official Athlete of Sunshine Toyota." Metzger is being asked to go on Twitter or Facebook several times this month to talk about the business while wearing Michigan colors, or be seen in a Sunshine Toyota shirt of some kind. Also part of the agreement is putting up posts based on Sunshine Toyota's connection to a local charity that supports single mothers and families in need through local church groups.

"Blessed for the opportunity, because I am going to use the money for rent for the summer and all the stuff that helps me play Michigan football," Metzger said. "It really helps, because of workouts and school, I have a limited time to work a job, which is what I would normally be doing to help pay for my schooling."

Metzger was a multiple-sport standout as a 2021 graduate of Lakeview. He was a member of a Spartan football team that went undefeated in the regular season his junior year and was a two-time All-City and all-league selection, as well as earning All-State honors as a tight end.

Metzger, who is playing as a linebacker for the Wolverines, is getting ready for his first season at Michigan. After not signing with anyone out of high school, Metzger enrolled at Michigan last fall and tried out for a walk-on position in October. He gained a spot and began workouts in January and participated in spring football.

His former Lakeview coach, Jerry Diorio, is a former U-M player and helped out with the contacts needed to walk on.

"I was always focused on academics. I could have gone somewhere else to play football at a different level, but never wanted to pick a school just for football. When I chose Michigan for the academics, coach Diorio helped get me a chance to tryout as a walk-on," Metzger said.

"It's been very exciting to be part of the team. High school football does a nice job of giving you an opportunity for competition, but it doesn't do justice to the level of what you will experience in college. The learning curve has been steep for me, but I am really loving it and loving spring and summer workouts. I have gained 25 pounds and getting after it."

Metzger has seen stories of people remarking that NIL, and some of the big money that comes with it, is changing college football — and maybe not for the better.

But his experience has been positive.

"If people use it the right way, NIL can be a great thing," Metzger said. "I see people saying it is getting out of hand. But there are a lot of athletes that it helps in letting them say in school longer, get a degree. Some need help if they want to do that, and this can be that help."

Contact Bill Broderick at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter @billbroderick. 

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: U-M's Metzger one of the first Battle Creek athletes to get NIL deal