Insight Into WWE's Expectations For NIL Athletes

As one of the several college athletes recruited by WWE for its NIL program, University of Alabama's track and field star Ruben Banks should have some pretty decent insight into how WWE's relatively new initiative for college athletes operates. In particular, he also has a pretty good idea of what WWE is looking for when it comes to what it wants from its NIL athletes.

In an interview with Wrestling Inc.'s Senior News Editor Nick Hausman, Banks revealed just what WWE expects from amateur athletes such as himself.

"I'll be honest, it's not too much," Banks said. "They're pretty laid back, they're not putting too much on us. Represent the brand, so be careful with posting on social media and all that type of stuff. When we post, to use their tag. If we have an opportunity to talk about it on Instagram, talk about it. And the biggest thing is to stay in shape and staying looking good. A lot of us were recruited just on our appearances, and that we had the potential to be a star like that. 

"So that's the big thing, is just staying in shape, and stay looking good, as we all do. Because the whole class, everyone is huge. I was the second biggest ... was I the second biggest? Probably in height, I was the tallest, but there were some big dudes in my class. When they recruited me, I was like 6' 4", 285. Right now, I'm like 6' 4", 270. There was Zachary (Knighton-Ward) of Hofstra, he's like 6' 2", 280. There was Cohlton (Schultz), the wrestler from Arizona State, he's like 6' 1", 290. Just huge guys, man."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Wrestling Inc. with an h/t for the transcription.