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Florida high school football players graduate from NIL 101 course

Lawrence Andrew Fernandezby: Lawrence Fernandez06/18/25lawandfern
Florida high school football - NIL 101
(Photo credit: EmpwrU on X/Twitter)

With name, image, and likeness changing the sporting landscape, some Florida high school football players took an NIL 101 course with EmpwrU. As posted on the EmpwrU account on X/Twitter, Manatee High School in Bradenton, Florida had 24 of their players complete the course.

According to another post, Manatee has six Florida high school football state championships and 732 wins, the most in Florida. They’ve had over 200 athletes who have played in college and two coaches in the NFL. Likewise, there are two more coaches from Manatee inducted into the Florida High School Hall of Fame.

In a press release, Manatee head football coach and former NFL player Jacquez Green said, “NIL is giving high school athletes a chance to win on and off the field. It’s not just about the money. It’s about the opportunity to build your personal brand, learn important financial skills and get a head start in life.”

As their players attract brands and advertisers, Manatee is giving them the knowledge to navigate this new entity in amateur football.

Meanwhile, according to their website, EmpwrU is an “integrated online platform and mobile app providing NIL and life skills education for athletes, parents, coaches and administrators.” In addition to teaching best practices, they also teach financial literacy, personal branding, entrepreneurship, legal rights, and content creation, among others.

EmpwrU’s founder, Kerry Perry, is the CEO of USA Gymnastics and a member of the Venture Capital of Indiana. Aside from Manatee, EmpwrU has partnered with Robert Morris University, Youngstown State, and Indiana University Indianapolis.

Last season, the Hurricanes finished with a 10-2 record. They won their first two games against Lake Minneola and Southeast before losing to Lowndes. After that defeat to the Vikings, Manatee went on an eight-game winning streak. However, their campaign ended with a loss to St. Thomas Aquinas in the Florida high school football Class 5A state semifinals.