One of Penn State football’s best players is now on a big banner.
In something that would have been unfathomable 15, 10 or even five years ago, Penn State RB Nicholas Singleton is on a Gatorade banner in downtown State College that features his image below the words “There’s no stopping it” and the Gatorade logo.
Penn State running back Nick Singleton is getting larger than life treatment from @Gatorade in downtown State College today. pic.twitter.com/ykifbybwPF
— Nate Bauer (@NateBauerBWI) October 22, 2024
In the era of Name, Image of Likeness, things like this are becoming common place.
Before 2021, the thought of a Penn State football player getting this type of treatment would have seemed unlikely, if not crazy. It wasn’t at advantage offered to past Penn State stars such as Ki-Jana Carter, Larry Johnson and Saquon Barkley.
SINGLETON IS A STAR
Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now: Nicholas Singleton
A big reason Singleton is getting this star treatment is because, well, he is a star. Through five games, Singleton has been Penn State’s No. 1 running back, rushing for 434 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 6.9 yards per carry. He’s also been a factor in Penn State’s passing game, catching 11 balls for 85 yards and a touchdown.
Singleton prides himself on the work he’s put in toward doing everything well.
“I’m trying to be a complete back,” he told reporters via Zoom last month. “Blocking, I want to do that, too, work on that. My speed, I worked on that the whole offseason. And catching the ball out of the backfield. Being a complete back. That was really my goal throughout the offseason, just working on stuff like that. I feel like you can see it during the games, but obviously still stuff I need to improve on. So I just have to keep working on it.”
HISTORY WITH GATORADE PREDATES PENN STATE
Courtesy Nicholas Singleton
Singleton’s had a history with Gatorade dating back to before he started his Penn State career. At the end of his senior season at Governor Mifflin High School near Reading, his numbers were so impressive— 41 touchdowns, 2,043 rushing yards— that he was named Gatorade’s National Player of the Year. So far, his college career has lived up to the hype.
Penn State will need Singleton to reach its goal of winning a national championship this season. The next step is Saturday night in Madison when Penn State takes on Wisconsin for a 7:30 kick on NBC.
