In October, Laguna Beach running back Bella Rasmussen made history as the first girl to score two touchdowns in a California high school football game.
Now, she’s breaking new ground again, this time as the first female football player to get a name, image and likeness deal, On3 reports.
Rasmussen, who scored twice against Godinez Fundamental High School on Oct. 14, has reached a deal with KeyWise AI to promote their Skye app, which “acts as a fitness tracker for your brain,” according to On3.
“Excited to partner with Bella Rasmussen helping people take control of their mental health!,” KeyWise tweeted.
NIL deals, which let athletes make money by endorsing products and other methods of profiting off of themselves, have only recently been allowed for college athletes and, by extension, high school stars.
Multiple companies brought potential endorsement deals to Rasmussen, who, with her Laguna Beach teammates, captured a CIF Southern Section Division 9 championship, the school’s first since 1946, according to Sports Illustrated.
However, the 18-year-old star wanted to focus on doing good for others, she told On3.
“Partnering with a brand that values mental wellness in a progressive manner is the most ideal scenario for me and I can not wait to see where it leads me in the future! #NILForGood,” the Breakers rusher added on Instagram.
Rasmussen plans to attend college as a regular student and major in psychology, though she admitted to On3 that “the fact that football is over is still settling in for sure. That’s a weird feeling.”
“So, if somebody were to tell me they were going to give me an opportunity to go play college football, would it probably be pretty dangerous? Yes. Will I maybe get hurt? Most likely. But why the hell not? I would go do it,” she said. “If I had the opportunity to play tackle football again, I would do it in a heartbeat.”
Whether or not she returns to the gridiron, On3 assessed her NIL valuation at $18,400, “and that’s surely going to expand as her social media presence expands and more people and brands become aware of her story.”
