Adidas was the talk of the NFL Combine when they said they would pay the top three fastest 40 times $100,000 if they wore their shoes when they did it. UAB’s JJ Nelson ran the fastest 40 with a blazing 4.28, but he was not rewarded for his accomplishment.
That’s a bit odd since Nelson wore the cleats as instructed, that was until afterwards Adidas said Nelson wouldn’t be rewarded the cash prize due to the fact that he didn’t sign with the brand prior to the company. Well now Nelson is claiming that despite choosing to run in Adidas cleats at the combine, that he was never offered an opportunity by the company to sign with them.
When Nelson went to the player suite where he had a choice to run in the latest models form Nike, Under Armour and Adidas, he said he chose Adidas not only because the shoes were comfortable but because he was aware of the $100,000 prize.
“I wasn’t completely focused on it at the time,” Nelson told ESPN.com. “I was obviously focused on getting a good time first.”
An Adidas news release said that the offer was “open to the athletes who sign with adidas prior to running their official 40 yard dashes later this month,” but Nelson said he wasn’t ever given a chance to sign with the brand.
“I signed some waiver at some point, but I was never given a chance to sign an endorsement deal,” Nelson said.
When the ESPN.com article was posted that quoted Adidas spokesman Michael Ehrlich as saying Nelson wasn’t eligible because he didn’t sign with the brand, Nelson said he started getting phone calls and text messages.
“Players and friends were calling me thinking I would be dumb enough to turn down $100,000,” Nelson said.
At 5-foot-10, 156 pounds, Nelson — who ran a 4.28 40-yard dash — is thought of as, at best, a late-round draft pick. The same can’t be said for the three players who took home the $100,000.
Former Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes (4.31) and former West Virginia receiver Kevin White (4.35) are projected first-round draft picks, while former University of Miami receiver Phillip Dorsett (4.33) might not slip past the second round.
This doesn’t smell right at all. When the news came out initially that Nelson wouldn’t be awarded the prize it seemed a bit puzzling. I don’t think Nelson would have chosen to wear Adidas cleats had he known he wasn’t going to be eligible for the prize in the first place, and he isn’t acting like someone that knowingly entered the combine unaware of the stipulations.
This entire thing looks like a kid who came into the combine as a relative unknown is getting screwed out of a large sum of money and I think Adidas needs to make this right. I don’t think Nelson has any particular reason to lie about the happenings behind the scenes, but hopefully this entire issue is addressed sooner rather than later.