NFL Rookies to Learn Business of Football, Connect with Partners at 25th Annual NFLPA Rookie Premiere Presented by Panini America

NFLPA will host 40 rookies in Los Angeles for their first major business event, highlighted by partner content capture, the Fanatics jersey reveal moment, and the highly-anticipated Panini America trading card photo shoot in official team uniforms

ACE Media to produce rookie features and series with a variety of brand and distribution partners

WASHINGTON, May 14, 2019 – Forty top rookies from the 2019 NFL Draft will gather in Los Angeles on May 16-19 to learn the business of football and jumpstart their endorsement careers at the 25th annual NFL Players Association (NFLPA) Rookie Premiere presented by Panini America, the exclusive trading card partner of the NFLPA. More than 30 NFLPA business partners will engage with the latest group of promising young stars to create content for seasonal campaigns and player-identified merchandise and showcase goods and services throughout the multi-day event.

Hosted by the NFLPA and its marketing and licensing arm, NFL Players Inc., the 2019 NFLPA Rookie Premiere includes several highly-anticipated moments. Friday will feature the unveiling of each rookie's official jersey presented by Fanatics. Saturday's main event is an all-day live action and studio shoot for Panini trading cards as the rookies wear their official team uniforms for the first time.

“The NFLPA Rookie Premiere is our Super Bowl for NFL trading cards as we welcome 40 of the top rookies we expect to be the most collectable for the 2019-20 season and photograph them for our trading cards, capture content and get the players to autograph trading cards for the upcoming season,” said Jason Howarth, Vice President of Marketing, Panini America.

An important annual date on the football calendar, the NFLPA Rookie Premiere is the first major business and marketing event featuring NFL players since becoming professionals. Players in attendance gain insights and make connections that will assist in the development of their brands and careers on and off the field. Participating players will also go through a brief orientation highlighting the union’s programs and services.

Among the rookies expected to participate are (based on draft order): Kyler Murray (Oklahoma/Arizona Cardinals), Nick Bosa (Ohio State/San Francisco 49ers), Daniel Jones (Duke/New York Giants), T.J. Hockenson (Iowa/Detroit Lions), Dwayne Haskins (Ohio State/Washington Redskins), Noah Fant (Iowa/Denver Broncos), Josh Jacobs (Alabama/Oakland Raiders), Marquise Brown (Oklahoma/Baltimore Ravens), and N’Keal Harry (Arizona State/New England Patriots). For a complete player roster click here.

This year’s NFLPA partner lineup is headlined by the event’s presenting sponsor, Panini America, followed by Bud Light, CampusLore, EA SPORTS, Fanatics, Fanatics Authentic, FedEx, Gatorade, Matthew Berry, Mophie, New Era, NFL Auction, NFL Digital Media, NFL Extra Points, Nike, NormaTec, opendorse, Pepsi, Sleep Number, Snickers, SportsCastr, Sprayground, StatMuse, Tostitos, Trumaker, WHOOP, and more. Additionally, during Saturday’s Panini America photo shoot, rookies will be provided grooming, personal care and other official locker room products from Procter & Gamble.

“The NFLPA Rookie Premiere is an unparalleled opportunity for partners to engage with tomorrow’s most influential athletes” said Ahmad Nassar, President, NFL Players Inc. “For the first time as professionals and following in the footsteps of Russell Wilson, Saquon Barkley and Baker Mayfield, this year’s rookies will learn about the business of football from union leadership as they start to build a plan to succeed beyond their playing careers while connecting on a personal level with partners who share their passion for the game.”

Athlete Content & Entertainment (ACE Media), the athlete-driven content and production affiliate of the NFLPA, will be on site to coordinate and oversee all content efforts for the event, and will be producing features and series for a range of distribution and brand partners including CampusLore, EA SPORTS, Fanatics and Sleep Number. Since its launch in 2015 ACE Media has produced, created or facilitated over 2,000 unique content projects featuring more than 1,500 unique athletes from a variety of professional sports, all on behalf of over 50 different partners.

Launched in Los Angeles in 1994, the NFLPA Rookie Premiere has been a pioneering event in professional sports, providing business partners with unparalleled early access to the game’s marketable new stars. Each year, the NFLPA facilitates more than 100 individual player service deals for Rookie Premiere participants. The event also generates numerous business opportunities for current and former players.

Media and fans can follow Twitter and Instagram (@NFLPA) via #NFLPARookiePremiere for updates, exclusive photos, video, and news throughout the 2019 NFLPA Rookie Premiere.

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About the NFL Players Association

The National Football League Players Association is the union for professional football players in the National Football League. Established in 1956, the NFLPA has a long history of assuring proper recognition and representation of players’ interests. The NFLPA has shown that it will do whatever is necessary to assure that the rights of players are protected—including ceasing to be a union, if necessary, as it did in 1989. In 1993, the NFLPA again was officially recognized as the union representing the players and negotiated a landmark Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NFL. The current CBA will govern the sport through 2020.

About NFL Players Inc.

NFL Players Inc., the licensing and marketing arm of the NFLPA, connects businesses to the power of NFL players. NFL Players Inc. creates customized business solutions for partners, through licensing, marketing strategy, and player activations. For more information, please visit nflpa.com/about/players-inc.

About Athlete Content and Entertainment Media

Athlete Content & Entertainment (ACE Media) is a world class content development and production company built to unlock the enormous content potential of professional athletes. Owned by the NFL Players Association and select strategic partners, ACE Media delivers unparalleled access to create original sports-lifestyle content across all sports and all media platforms.

Media Contacts:

John Fitzpatrick, NFLPA, John.Fitzpatrick@nflpa.com

David Cooper, MVP PR, david@mvppr.com