Georgia football success means bigger trading card cuts for JT Daniels and Bulldogs

ATHENS — JT Daniels is making a habit out of spreading the football around Sanford Stadium, but the sharing doesn’t stop there.

Daniels is sharing the revenue from his Super Glow trading cards with his Georgia football teammates, and the profits could prove significant.

“I understand the vital role my teammates have played in allowing me to be in this position,” Daniels said. “That’s why it is so important that I share half of my earnings from this deal with the guys who got me here.”

Daniels was 22-of-31 passing for 303 yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception in the 40-13 win over South Carolina on Saturday night, running his record as the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback to 6-0.

But Daniels is the first to hand off credit to teammates, describing himself as more of a distributor than anything else.

Coach Kirby Smart took note of how the offense got into sync with Daniels’ under center last Saturday.

“I was proud of the ability to function and convert on our offense,” said Smart, who saw Daniels complete 7 of 7 passes on third down against the Gamecocks. “It takes more than a throw and a catch. It’s a lot of protection in there.”

That’s why Daniels is making it a habit to share revenue from his various NIL deals, from his Zaxby’s contract, to his apparel deal with Rhoback.

The card deal with Super Glow could prove to be the most lucrative, according to his marketing agent, Dan Everett of Everett Sports Management (ESM).

“The trading card marketplace over the last 3 years has exploded,” Everett said. “Digital trading cards, NFTs, and even physical trading card signature requests of NFL rookies are up 50% over that period. Panini currently has the NFLPA license. They have 70% more quantity than the other six competitors in that category combined.”

Panini, however, had not been in any sort of NIL negotiations. With Panini out of the mix, other card companies were offering top NIL quarterbacks relatively low rates, “$20 to $30 per signature,” Everett said, “compared to the $50 to $70 value they will receive as an NFL rookie.”

That led ESM to an exclusive deal Super Glow, which contracted Daniels and North Carolina Sam Howell at a rate of $100 per signature with six-figure guarantees.

The deal, which remains exclusive through the end of 2021, includes what’s believed to be an unprecedented 50-percent royalty program on signed and unsigned cards.

“JT has decided to share half his earnings from Super Glow with his teammates,” Everett said. “If JT and UGA have success, this could be a seven-figure deal over the 5-month term.”

Daniels and ESM negotiated the deal before the start of the season, but as the Bulldogs gain momentum, so, too will the trading cards.