Throwback Win: What Securing Jason Witten as an Influencer Taught Us About Athlete Branding — And Why It Still Matters in the NIL Era

With Witten just snubbed from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility and heading to the University of Oklahoma as tight ends coach, we're revisiting one of our favorite influencer campaigns — and the lessons that apply directly to today's student athlete in the name-image-likeness (NIL) era.

It’s February 2026 and Jason Witten is back in the headlines. The Dallas Cowboys legend — arguably the greatest tight end in franchise history — was just passed over for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, a decision that left many stunned. And within days, he was announced as the new tight ends coach at the University of Oklahoma, closing the chapter on a remarkable five-year run as head coach at Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas, where he led the Warriors to back-to-back TAPPS state championships.

The recent headlines and timing back bring our agency back to 2019 when Dala Communications had the privilege of working with Witten in a very different capacity — not as a coach, but as a brand influencer. And the lessons from that campaign feel more relevant today than ever.

The Original Campaign: Dala Scores a Touchdown for Capital One

In 2019, Dala Communications was tasked with researching and booking an influencer as a part of a larger media strategy for an upcoming event at Capital One. Our pick? Jason Witten who had recently come out of retirement and was rejoining the Dallas Cowboys. We went to work securing Witten as a brand influencer for Capital One's STEM education initiative — a campaign designed to inspire the next generation of innovators by connecting students to an NFL icon who embodied discipline, preparation, and excellence. It was a full-circle moment: a world-class athlete lending his name, image, and likeness to drive a message that went far beyond touchdowns.

Influencer Marketing - Jason Witten

The Dala Communications and Capital One team executing a success STEM event culminating with setting a Guinness World Record for the largest artificial intelligence programming lesson.

At the time, the word 'NIL' wasn't yet part of the everyday sports conversation. It was a concept reserved for contract negotiations, licensing agreements, and legal debates at the collegiate level and for professional athletes. The idea that high school student athletes could — or should — think strategically about their own name, image, and likeness felt like a distant future.

But, that future is now…

Working with a talent like Witten reinforced several principles that we now teach directly to student athletes through Dala's NIL personal branding programs:

Authenticity is the asset. Witten wasn't chosen for that Capital One campaign because of his stat line alone. He was chosen because his off-field story — his community involvement, his foundation work, his reputation as a leader — matched the brand's values and what they were looking to communicate and amplify with the student audience in attendance at the STEM event. That alignment is everything. For student-athletes thinking about NIL, the same rule applies: brands partner with people whose story resonates personally, not just their performance.

Your brand starts before the pros. Witten spent years building a reputation on the field and in the community long before any brand came calling. High school athletes who wait until they're recruited or signed to think about their personal brand are already behind. The groundwork should be laid now for building a personal brand that helps bring more NIL contracts to the starting line.

Media readiness matters at every level. One of the things that made Witten such an effective brand ambassador was his comfort in front of a camera and his ability to stay on message. That's not a natural gift — it's a trained skill. Media training is as important as film study for today's student athletes.

What Witten's Story Reminds Us

Witten's post-NFL chapter is a good reminder that the transition from player to mentor is rarely seamless — but when it works, it's because the person brought real credibility into the room. And it reminds us: athletic careers are shaped by so much more than just a physical skillset. They're driven by meaningful relationships, authentic personal brands, and the ability to communicate your value both on and off the field. The athletes who understand that early are the ones who stay relevant long after the final whistle.

That credibility gap is something we think about a lot at Dala as we build out our NIL programming. The athletes who will benefit most aren't just the ones with the biggest social following — they're the ones who've put in the work to understand their own story and how to tell it.

Texas took a meaningful step in 2025, allowing high school athletes 17 and older to sign NIL agreements — but payment is still delayed until college enrollment, and restrictions remain. The landscape is shifting, and the athletes who arrive at that moment already knowing how to tell their story, manage their brand, and handle media attention will have a distinct advantage over those who are starting from scratch. That’s why Dala has launched a dedicated NIL personal branding and media training service for high school student athletes and club athletes, bringing the same Fortune 500 strategic communications expertise we've delivered to clients like Capital One to the next generation of athletes who deserve the same tools.

Introducing Dala's NIL Personal Branding Program

Our program is built on a simple belief: the same strategic communications principles that help Fortune 500 brands win in the marketplace can help student athletes build lasting, authentic personal brands — before the recruiting calls start, before the NIL deals arrive, and before the media pressure intensifies.

We partner with private schools and club sports teams across the Dallas-Fort Worth area to deliver workshop-based programming that covers personal brand development, social media strategy, media training, and interview preparation. Schools can offer these programs as a premium student development initiative — a competitive advantage for families who want their student athletes to be as prepared off the field as they are on it.

If your school or club is interested in bringing NIL personal branding and media training to your student athletes, we'd love to connect. Learn more about our NIL training here or email us: athletebranding@dalacommunications.com.

Overtime

Read more about our NIL consultant, Lesley Berry who brings extensive sports marketing and player relations experience to the table with two decades in the professional athlete space including the iconic Dallas Mavericks.

With proven results from the two worlds of PR and sports marketing, we have a firsthand understanding of what it actually takes to build and manage an athlete's brand at the highest level. Get in the game today!