Nike has signed several top 2015 NFL Draft prospects to endorsement deals, according to a report from ESPN.
"The world's largest shoe and apparel company confirmed to ESPN.com that it signed Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston," reports ESPN Sports Business reporter Darren Rovell. "Sources say the company has also signed this year's Heisman Trophy winner, Marcus Mariota, and the two runner-ups, Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon and Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper."
According to ESPN's report, terms of the deals were not disclosed.
It's a great haul for Nike, despite Winston's legal troubles, the most recent of which involves his sexual assault accuser, Erica Kinsman, filing a lawsuit against him in Florida just this week.
"Jameis has stated his innocence regarding serious charges made against him," a Nike spokesman said in a statement provided to ESPN.com. "We'll continue to monitor the situation."
Winston, of course, has never been charged or convicted of any crime and was deemed to not have broken the university's code of conduct during a Florida State forum investigating the matter.
The former Seminole quarterback seems the likely first-overall selection of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2015 NFL Draft later this month.
Nike, as Rovell notes, has had something of a difficult year from a public relations and endorsement deal standpoint - they've been forced to terminate the contracts of NFL players Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson - Johnny Manziel survived the cut despite having just recently finished a rehab stint - along with sprinter Oscar Pistorius.
