Sal Cannella signs Auburn football-turned UCF receiver as first NIL athlete

Former Auburn football tight end Sal Cannella is making big moves these days. Just recently, Cannella was signed by the Miami Dolphins, where he’ll join former teammate Noah Igbinoghene and former in-state rival Tua Tagovailoa.

Cannella started his collegiate career off at junior college before earning a scholarship offer from the Auburn football program and obtaining a degree in interdisciplinary studies. But football isn’t the only thing that Cannella has going for him. In 2019, he founded NNella, a streetwear clothing collection, and he’s been working on building his brand ever since.

With the recent approval of NIL rules, it was simply a matter of time before Sal Cannella would link up with one of his many football contacts to pull off a NIL endorsement. The first NIL athlete to represent Sal’s NNella brand is former Auburn Tiger and current UCF Knight Nate Craig-Myers:

Nate Craig-Myers was a 4-star prospect in the class of 2016 and began his college football career on the Plains with Gus Malzahn and Auburn football. He dealt with injuries that held him back during his freshman season, but after an impressive sophomore year, Malzahn’s coaching staff expected the receiver to have a breakout junior year.

However, after two seasons in Auburn, Craig-Myers decided to transfer in early 2018 after just four games. He spent two relatively successful years at Colorado State before announcing he would use his extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19 to play at UCF:

Although the two athletes are no longer Auburn Tigers, it’s still good to see former Tigers linking together to do great things.