Bella Rasmussen adds another first to resume through NIL deal with Leaf Trading Cards
Bella Rasmussen continues to rewrite history.
In case you forgot, Rasmussen of Laguna Beach (California) High School was the first girl to score two touchdowns in a California varsity football game. In December, she also became the first female football player to sign an NIL deal.
Now she has achieved another first – becoming the first ever female football player to appear on a Leaf Trading Card. The trading card released on Tuesday was made possible through an NIL deal between Rasmussen and Leaf.
“Leaf is excited to knock down another barrier in the space as we launch the first-ever female football player NIL trading card in collaboration with Bella,” C.J. Breen of Leaf told On3. “Bella checks all the boxes when it comes to being a role model. She is somebody we pride ourselves in working with.”
Breen said Leaf CEO Brian Gray has been working to bring the “historic card to market” over the past few months. The signed rookie card is now available on Leaf’s website for $24.99. There will be a maximum production of 510 cards in total.
“Brian Gray has done more for females in the trading card space than any other card manufacturer, bringing them the necessary attention they deserve,” Breen said. “I am hopeful this card will inspire the next generations of little girls.”
Bella Rasmussen continues to impress
This isn’t her first NIL deal. Bella Rasmussen’s first NIL agreement came in December with KeyWise to promote its newly released KeyWise Skye app. At the time, multiple experts told On3 they believe the NIL agreement was the first for a female football player.
The deal with Leaf is another exciting moment in what has been a whirlwind of “mind-blowing opportunities.” Rasmussen scored two touchdowns in a 48-0 victory over Godinez Fundamental last October. Rasmussen scored on runs of 4 and 1 yards against Godinez, and ever since that moment, she’s garnered nationwide attention.
She appeared on “The Today Show,” the “Jennifer Hudson Show,” and on “Access Hollywood.” Heck, Rasmussen even got to fire off the Los Angeles Chargers’ canon before a game against the Seattle Seahawks.
But the biggest moment came in February when she appeared in a Super Bowl ad through a NIL partnership with the NFL.
Many in her shoes would use the newfound stardom to make a quick NIL buck. But that’s not who Rasmussen is and what she’s all about.
“From the time Bella could walk, we knew she was bound for great things,” Annette Rasmussen, her mother, told On3 earlier. “Everyone told us, ‘That girl is going to change the world.’ We were like, ‘Yeah, she’s crazy enough to do it.’ Did I ever think that the last few weeks would ever, ever be like they were? No. Never in a million years. I knew she was going to do big things. But this still feels very surreal.”