Alabama, Auburn players to promote COVID vaccines in PSAs under NIL

Thanks to the new NIL rules, the Alabama Department of Public Health will be using Alabama and Auburn football players to promote vaccines for COVID-19 with Public Service Announcements.

John Metchie, Will Anderson, Bo Nix, Owen Pappoe, and Anders Carlson were among the players mentioned in Thursday’s reports.

UA’s John Metchie, Will Anderson and Auburn’s Bo Nix among athletes that will be doing pro-vaccine PSAs.

— Dennis Pillion (@dennispillion) September 2, 2021

The players will appear on ADPH social media, along with sponsored (NIL) posts on their own social media.

— Christian Clemente (@CClemente__) September 2, 2021

The compensation will vary from player to player, according to Gene Hallman, a spokesman for the Bruno Event Team.

Alabama, through Bruno Event Team as a contractor, will pay college athletes to promote COVID vaccines under new NCAA image and likeness rules, we just learned in a @ALPublicHealth presser.

“It varies player to player” how much, Gene Hallman says.

— Kyle Whitmire (@WarOnDumb) September 2, 2021

The state of Alabama has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country. This is not the first time PSAs have been used to help promote COVID-19 vaccinations. A few months ago, Alabama head coach Nick Saban and former Auburn basketball player and TNT NBA analyst Charles Barkley did PSA’s on the importance of getting vaccinated.

The ADPH is promoting its new Kick COVID campaign. Fans that are vaccinated before the game or at the game can receive a $75 gift card to their favorite team’s bookstore.

ADPH, Dr. Scott Harris and Gene Hallman have announced the launch of “KickCovid,” with the plans of being at games around the state of Alabama to give out vaccinations.

They’ll be in Auburn on Sept. 25, and anyone who gets a vaccine gets a $75 gift card to the bookstore.

— Christian Clemente (@CClemente__) September 2, 2021