Tennessee RB DeSean Bishop says the quiet part out loud about NIL and the locker room, but he drops a strong message afterwards
The Vols’ veteran leader admits a significant issue with NIL, but has a message for how to handle it.
The Tennessee Vols have been as aggressive as just about anyone on the NIL. Trendsetters with the NIL offer to former quarterback Nico Iamaleava, the Vols continue to be with their reported offer in the pursuit of five-star RB David Gabriel Georges, which is believed to be in the neighborhood of $2 million per year for three years.
Naturally, with the dollar signs so big for some players while not as much so for others, that begs the question of whether that can cause any locker room issues among players.
Tennessee starting running back DeSean Bishop addressed that at SEC Media Days on Monday in Tampa. He admitted that leaving NIL pay and individual egos at the door can be “tricky”, but that the greater need of the team has to come first.
Tennessee RB DeSean Bishop admits NIL and ego management in the locker room has been ‘tricky’
“It’s been tricky,” Bishop said. “Obviously it’s been new and obviously everybody wants to get paid. Everybody wants to make the most money they can, but obviously the team comes first at the end of the day.
“But once you put your ego out the door and leave that at the door and realize that I may not make the money I want now, but if I keep doing what I’m doing and putting the team first, having team success, maybe down the road we can negotiate, we can talk about that. But it can’t be something you’re thinking about —again, that’s some stuff that you can get pretty sticky and people, just, you’re chasing the bag and it’s not always what it would seem like at the end of the day.”
Good words from a veteran leader. Egos are a tough thing to manage in a locker room full of players used to being the best on their teams and often in their own states, and adding money into the equation is an explosive combination. And after all, for most players, the NFL is not in their future, and this is their only opportunity to earn significant money as a player.
But negotiations do seem happen, and Bishop’s message feels two-fold. Always do what’s best for the team. And do that by controlling what you can — your own performance— and if you do and you deliver on the field, perhaps you can change that financial conversation with the program.
If Tennessee gets good news on Gabriel Georges on Wednesday, when he makes his announcement, there will likely be more than a few envious teammates in the locker room when he makes it on campus. And that makes Bishop’s message one that they should not be forgotten.