Stanford's Terian Williams uses NIL deal with Cheez-It to donate $10,000 to his favorite teacher
Stanford defensive back Terian Williams II is using his NIL for good – again.
Williams is a breakout NIL star with his massive list of partnerships, including companies like Gold’s Gym, PSD Underwear and Boost Mobile. His latest NIL deal is with Cheez-It and the College Football Playoff Foundation. As part of the Extra Yard for Teachers campaign, Williams donated $10,000 to his favorite teacher.
In a post on Instagram, Williams, a native of Duluth, Georgia, shared a video of him surprising Henry County Schools educator Jerry Hayes with the award. Williams has been with the district for 17 years and the $10,000 donation will go to the district through his name.
“I wanted to let you know about how big of an impact you had on my life,” Williams said in the video. “You taught me things about life that’s stuck with me throughout. You made the class a safe place, not only for me, but for all your students. Just allowed them to be themselves.”
Williams didn’t know the news was coming.
“Oh, my goodness. In my name?” Williams said. “Wow, $10,000? You’ve got to be kidding me TJ. I can’t do anything but say thank you and your sponsors for believing in people like yourself, me and teachers across the country.
“I’m just in tears right now. It’s been one of the happiest moments of my life.”
Terian Williams using NIL to help others
Terian Williams, a former three-star recruit from Johns Creek High School, had five tackles, including three solo stops earlier this season against USC. He appeared in two games during the 2022 season. While he’s developing into a solid player for the Cardinal, he generated plenty of headlines for his use of NIL to support others.
This past holiday season, he used earnings from his roughly 30 NIL deals to provide groceries, Christmas presents and housing to 10 families in the Atlanta area.
“I came from a good upbringing and it’s just definitely the best way I can say thank you to them is just keep grinding, keep pushing and give back,” Williams said while crediting his parents who work in law enforcement and in education
“It just felt great giving back, seeing smiles on the kids’ faces.”
Additionally, Terian Williams was also nominated for the Hustle Award at the 2022 NIL Summit. The award recognized the student-athlete that utilized an unrelenting determination combined with entrepreneurial savvy, to excel in their NIL endeavors off the field or court.