Nike's first college signee is a UCLA soccer player without a massive social media following — but she's a superstar in LA
- Nike signed UCLA women's soccer's Reilyn Turner as the brand's first college athlete.
- Unlike most NIL signees, the Bruins' sophomore striker doesn't have a massive social media following.
Nike has signed its first-ever NCAA athlete — and she's not who most people expected the massive sports apparel brand would choose for its inaugural foray into the college game.
With big-name college football quarterbacks, future NBA stars, and athletes with massive social media followings ripe for the picking, Nike instead tapped UCLA women's soccer player Reilyn Turner.
Though the sophomore striker has become a consistent scoring threat for the Bruins, she's not yet considered one of the stars of women's college soccer; she wasn't even one of the 59-players named to the watch list for the 2021 MAC Hermann Trophy — the highest individual honor in NCAA soccer. And just before she and Nike announced their partnership, the 19-year-old had just over 3,000 followers on Instagram and another 157 on Twitter.
So why Turner?
"Her skills on the field are matched by her passion to give back off the pitch," Nike said in a release. "Turner acknowledges the doors that soccer has opened for her, and she wants to give those same opportunities to local girls and boys, helping them get active, pursue their dreams, and reach their highest potential."
"That's Nike's mission too," the brand continued. "As part of Turner's sponsorship, Nike and Turner will team up to work with Los Angeles-based community partners."
A native of Southern California, Turner has been a figure in LA's soccer scene since she could first kick a ball. She developed into one of the best players in the state while playing for Orange County-based youth club So Cal Blues. Later, she made her way onto the list of highest-ranked recruits in the country as a recipient of All-America and All-California Interscholastic Federation honors at Laguna Beach High School.
Turner knew she wanted to take her talents to UCLA ever since she was 8 years old, when she attended a Bruins soccer camp and fell in love with the Westwood campus. Now that she's there — and she's a budding star — Turner is a natural pick to help Nike expand its reach in the City of Angels.
"As a Black woman and Mexican American, I think about those who have paved the way for me and how they used their platforms to create so much change, even beyond sport," Turner said via Nike's release. "I hope to be a role model for those around me and those after me."
"I'm so excited to be a part of what Nike is bringing to the future of women's sport."