Penn State Sports Magazine
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J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 2 13 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M S ixth-year senior quarterback Sean Clifford will hold many records by the time his Penn State career is over. As a player, Clifford is following a path that others have blazed. The records that he's chasing as he prepares for his fourth season as the Nittany Lions' starting quarterback have been established by those who came before him. But in another respect, Clifford is a trailblazer. He has seized the opportunities that have opened up in the past year in the name, image and likeness arena and recently became the first player in Penn State history to start his own NIL agency. Clifford launched Limitless NIL in April. Described as an organization "by athletes, for athletes," the venture aims to help players in State College and across the country find NIL deals while also providing education and advocacy. Limitless NIL's six-member executive team includes Clif- ford as the founder and CEO, along with former Penn State defensive lineman Aeneas Hawkins as the chief athlete officer, and current redshirt freshman wide receiver Liam Clifford, Sean's younger brother, as chief development officer. Six athletes from around the country, including Penn State safety Ji'Ayir Brown and Kentucky tight end Brendan Bates, have already signed up as clients. More are expected to join in the months ahead. Sean Clifford revealed the venture in an interview with ESPN. He said that while he has already made NIL money, he did not find a representative who checked all the boxes he felt were necessary. So, he started what he believes is the ideal brand to do so. "It's the agency that I was looking for that I couldn't find," Clifford told ESPN. "It's for the players, by the players. I wanted to do something to leave even more of a legacy than just on the field. I thought this was the way I wanted to go." He later expanded on his motivations during a media session in State College shortly before the Blue-White Game. "There needs to be very strict direction," Clifford said. "If there's not, it can either go left or right. For the generations to come, it could really be a life-changer for everybody. So, I want to be that light and that older guy to give everybody a little extra experience on it. ... "I've gotten a ton of great responses from current players and past players — guys in the [NFL] and, honestly, agents as well," he added. "They're just kind of thanking me for setting this path. Because I think that it was definitely necessary, just to kind of force the issue and move the ecosystem forward. I'm excited to continue my work with it." Penn State fans might have questions about whether Clif- ford's business venture will distract from both his play on the field and his coursework. But the Cincinnati native is working on a second degree and has a light class load, giving him ample time to fit this work into his preparation for game day. The NIL environment has been likened to the Wild West, with rules still taking shape and no one entirely sure where things are headed. But agencies such as Clifford's can help bridge the gap between what some call booster-funded pay- to-play and the kind of deals that were anticipated when the NCAA relaxed its NIL restrictions last year, such as social me- dia partnerships and promotions for a local business. That appears to be Clifford's goal now that his company is launched and working to help student-athletes nationwide. "I think we have the opportunity to really take over this landscape and do it the right way," Clifford told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "When I envisioned it, I wanted to make sure I was doing everything I would want, my brother would want and my teammates would want. I think we're on the right path. Moving forward, we have a bunch of opportunities to be suc- cessful in this space." ■ Sean Clifford Sees NIL Venture As Part Of His Legacy G R E G P I C K E L | G P I C 9 2 @ G M A I L . C O M Clifford launched Limitless NIL in April to help his fellow student-athletes navigate the world of name, image and likeness deal making. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL