The Fastest Roadrunner
How Grayson Medford went from a single scholarship offer to a DI roster spot; and his business goals for the future.
In roughly 4.3 seconds, Grayson Medford went from having a single scholarship offer to a DI roster spot.
In that moment, everything was a blur. Afterwards it still took a few seconds for people to comprehend exactly what had just happened.
On the final day of the University of Texas at San Antonioâs (UTSA) football camp, the coaches were evaluating the campers 40-yard dash times. Medford made every coach double check each otherâs stop watchesâ a la Philadelphia Eagles legend Vince Papaleâto confirm what they had just witnessed.
An inch under six-feet and a pound over 170, Medford had always been lightning quick fast. He runs a 4.3 40-yard dash and a 10.8 100-meter sprint. He earned the title of âFastest Roadrunnerâ at the camp and ultimately an offer to join the UTSA roster.
Surly though, this would be yet another offer for the Seven Lakes High School superstar athlete who seemed to live by the rule of three. He played three different sports (football, basketball and track) and played three different positions on the football field (QB, WR and CB).
And he had to prove himself after transferring into Seven Lakes from Cinco Ranch High School. Medford described how it was easy to fit in because he is always focused on being a team player:
âI am dedicated to every sport I play and consider myself a team player but I can put the team on my shoulders, if need be, to try to make a difference. I have been told by coaches that I am a âplaymaker.â Playing sports is what I love and everything that goes along with it makes me who I am -- a leader!â
Medford, however, only had one offer up to that point. And it was with the Division II school Colorado School of Mines. His dream was to always play DI Texas football, so once the Roadrunners came calling it was a done deal.
The relatively unknown Katy commodity as quite the impressive athletic resume. Each season he played a different position and recorded quality production (stats according to MaxPreps):
SO - Cornerback: 18 Tackles (10 solo) & blocked FG
JR - WR: 37 catches, 403 yds, 3 TDs (175 return yds)
SR - QB: 78/155, 1,029 passing yds, 8 TDS, 7 INTs // 105 carries, 457 rushing yds, 7 TDs
It was no surprise that he was in the mix to be the fastest player the UTSA coaches saw at this particular camp. When it came his turn, he capitalized on the most important sprint of his life.
Heâs fastâŚ
âWhat I want to accomplish on the field at UTSA is to earn a starting spot at punt or kick returner, and then make my way yo a starting spot at slot receiver or cornerbackâ Medford says.
And while Medford has lofty goals for his time at UTSA, he has also set a high bar for himself on the business end.
Continuing on about his off the field aspirations, Medford explained, âI want to make as much money as possible that I can reinvest and put into my brand. To build a sports complex in Katy that I can own and have a team of trainers run.â
So he wants to run his own gym after his football career. Medford has already begun in creating and building his own brandâBlueChipsâand wanted some advice on how he could use NIL as a competitive business advantage.
Our team sat down with Grayson and advised him on three key strategies:
Learn & Network
Everyone loves to talk and get to know college football players!
Use that as an âinâ to reach out to business owners to get your foot in the door and ask to learn about their career and business operations. Many are happy to talk about their journeys and successes with the next generation.
As the relationship grows, perhaps there is a way to develop a win-win business partnership.
Grow Social Media
Attack social media just as you would attack weights in a weight room. Use the tools of Twitter, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram to expand your following. Here is a look at Graysonâs socialâs as of this writing:
Twitter: @GraysonMedford (861 followers on 783 tweets)
Instagram: @Grayson.Medford (2,457 followers on 14 posts)
Brand Instagram: @bluechiphouston (172 followers)
Video all aspects of your life and routines. Whether that be working out, running routes or just chilling in your dorm. Show the world your authentic self and an audience will flock to you. They will trust what you say and love what you do, and that trust/love is what business will care about for future partnerships.
Social media can be a daunting job. As you grow consider hiring friends to assist in the management of it.
Take Scalable Steps
In all likelihood, Grayson is not going to own a 50,000 square foot gym within the next year. He needs more time, experience and capital to tackle that task.
Still, he could quickly scale up to this. If he can network and grow efficiently and effectively then all kinds of opportunities could open up.
Start small. Do autograph signings, social media endorsements, sell branded gear or run personal training sessions or camps to hustle for a few hundred or thousands of dollars at a time.
Now you have creditability, celebrity and capital to venture into larger projects. And that could be teaming up with someone to get equity in a gym business or so many other business alternatives.
It will be interesting and exciting to see how Medfordâs journey goes both on and off the field.
If you would like a consultation with our team at the NIL Report or to be featured in one of our newsletters, please email thenilreport@gmail.com.