College football players are using their Cheez-It NIL deals for a great cause

We live in a world of college football that would have been impossible to believe even just 5 years ago.

Never mind the fact that an entire 12-team playoff is going to begin or that it will feature Arizona State (shout out to my Sun Devils), Boise State and Indiana. That is bonkers in and of itself.

What truly is hard to believe is the NIL era that we operate in where collegiate athletes are able to benefit off of their name, image and likeness. We have seen stories about this in all sorts of capacities over the last 3 years, but it is wonderful to see ones like these.

A handful of college football players have turned their partnership with Cheez-Its into a vehicle that allows them to give back to their communities. Recently Washington Huskies running back Jonah Coleman, Jackson State’s Kirk Ford, Elon University’s Jon Seaton and Utah University’s Mycah Pittman each returned to their high school classrooms to surprise their favorite high school teachers with a $10K donation on behalf of Cheez-It and Extra Yard for Teachers.

You can watch each of their moments doing so below.

Cheez-It is rewarding teachers this college football season, celebrating the impact of those who had their past (and current) students “Feelin’ the Cheeziest” — or next level excitement fueled by the irresistible snack. As part of the program, Cheez-It is donating $300,000 to the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers initiative. The CFP Foundation is the largest sports entity dedicated to inspiring and empowering teachers.

The NIL era has incited several, um, opinions from far and wide, but it is very cool to see these young athletes capitalize on what they are able to generate for themselves in a way that can help the people who helped get them in the positions that they currently occupy.

Good for these four.