WWE NIL Athlete Ruben Banks Addresses Possibly Changing Name

Last year, WWE announced the official Next In Line Program or "NIL" (also symbolizing Name, Image, Likeness) that sees standout amateur wrestlers, football players, and other athletes report to the performance center in Orlando, Florida. There, they focus on developing useful skills for a WWE career, like brand building, media influence, communication, live event promotion, creative writing, and community relations, all with the hopes of being offered a contract someday. 

One athlete from the NIL recruits, Ruben Banks, has made a name for himself as a standout hammer thrower for the University of Alabama's track and field team. Speaking with Wrestling Inc. Senior News Editor Nick Hausman, Banks opened up about where he sees his career going with WWE if more evolves from the NIL opportunity. However, Banks admits he isn't a big fan of the idea of pivoting into a character and abandoning his real name.

"I remember when this first started coming around, I was thinking of a character, thinking of an idea, just in my bed, late at night, just thinking," Banks explained. "And I was just like, if I come into this, I want to come in as Ruben Banks. I think I want to carry my name forward and play myself, basically. Maybe we could shift the storyline a little bit and do that, but I think I want to come in myself as an athlete."

The most notable signing to come out of the WWE NIL program is Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson, who signed with the company on September 9, 2021. Though he has yet to compete in a match, the latest reports on Steveson claim he is still training for his in-ring debut with Ken Anderson, fka Mr. Kennedy, at his school, The Academy: School of Professional Wrestling.