Under Armour has signed yet another star athlete to its roster, as the sports apparel company is set to announce that it has inked a multi-year deal with former LSU running back Leonard Fournette.
ESPN’s Darren Rovell reports that Fournette’s deal with Under Armour is one of the most valuable endorsement contracts ever for a rookie.
“We have a roster of athletes that we choose and we’re never going to be that company that just collects athletes just to have the most,” Ryan Kuehl, Under Armour’s vice president of sports marketing, told Rovell. “We look for special people, who have the talent, the character, the story and the sense of purpose. Leonard Fournette fits that model.”
Under Armour does not currently have a popular NFL running back on its client list, and Fournette is expected to be just that. Many draft experts have predicted that he will go in the top 10 picks.
Fournette wore Under Armour in high school and played in the Under Armour All-America game in 2014.
“I’ve always had a great relationship with Under Armour and it means a lot that a company wants me to wear their product and that I’m good enough to represent them,” he said.
Fournette has also signed with Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports for representation.
While Under Armour is still a long way from competing with Nike, the brand now has plenty of star power with superstars like Stephen Curry, Tom Brady and Jordan Spieth. And based on what we heard about Curry, Nike is at least taking note of the moves Under Armour has made. Fournette should help the brand if he lives up to the hype.
