He’s Boise State’s social media star. Now this running back has an endorsement deal.
Running back Tyler Crowe has one of the largest social media followings among players on the Boise State football team, and he’s cashing in with an endorsement deal.
Crowe told local media members on Thursday that he signed an endorsement deal with sports supplement company Bucked Up before the Broncos began fall camp, and he has been promoting the brand on social media.
He’s the first Boise State player to publicly announce an endorsement deal since the NCAA passed an interim policy in July, allowing players to make money from their name, image and likeness.
Wide receiver Khalil Shakir confirmed at media days that he made some money from an autograph session that was sponsored by The Society LLC in July. Neither Shakir nor Crowe specified how much money they made.
Crowe says he hasn’t been that active in promoting Bucked Up since fall camp began on Aug. 4, but it’s the first big company he signed with and he plans to produce a few more posts for his considerable number of followers as the season progresses.
Crowe has almost 48,000 followers on TikTok and more than 5,700 on Instagram. It’s safe to say he has a larger audience on social media than just about any of his teammates, but Crowe said quarterback Hank Bachmeier is the Boise State player who has the potential to really rake in some cash in the NIL era.
“I think he just made an Instagram (account) like a month ago, and that dude is a famous face all over Boise,” Crowe told reporters on Thursday during a Zoom interview. “Just going out to dinner or anything we do together, everyone is coming up and asking him for autographs, so he needs to get on it.”
Crowe said he discovered his talent for creating catchy social media posts last winter while in quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19.
“I was at home, super bored,” said Crowe, a graduate of Skyview High in Nampa. “I saw all these people on TikTok making all this money and getting all these views, and I’m like ‘I can do that.’”
Crowe’s curly mullet, flamboyant personality and penchant for wearing short jean shorts with boots have made him an attraction on TikTok. One post of him wearing an “I love hot moms” T-shirt was viewed 3.9 million times.
Another of him answering common questions he’s faced as a running back attracted more than 1 million views, and a clip of him dancing with a teammate on the blue turf in Albertsons Stadium was watched more than 50,000 times. He even has his own promo code “Tcrowe33,” which will save customers 20% on Bucked Up gear, according to his bio on TikTok.
Crowe said another of his most popular posts was about his journey to Boise State. He starred as a linebacker and running back at Skyview High before fulfilling what he called a lifelong dream by joining the Broncos as a walk-on in 2019.
“I’ve grown up in the (Treasure) Valley my entire life, and I love putting on the blue and orange,” he said.
Polynesian POY watch list is out
Boise State had five players make the watch list for the Polynesian Player of the Year Award, which was released on Thursday.
Shakir, nickel Kekaula Kaniho, running back George Holani, center Kekaniokoa Holomalia-Gonzalez and linebacker Ezekiel Noa all made the list.
Shakir led the Broncos last season with 52 catches for 719 yards and six receiving touchdowns. In 2019, he led the team with 63 catches and scored 10 total touchdowns: six receiving, three rushing and one passing.
He also was one of four Broncos who made the preseason All-Mountain West team, and he’s on the watch lists for the Maxwell and Biletnikoff awards, given to the nation’s top receiver.
Kaniho is one of eight super seniors who took the NCAA up on its offer of an extra year of eligibility after the 2020 season was shortened because of COVID-19. The four-year starter has racked up 165 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, five interceptions and 26 pass breakups in his career, and he’s a two-time All-Mountain West pick.
Holani burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2019, racking up 1,014 rushing yards and 10 total touchdowns, but he missed most of last season with a knee injury.
Holomalia-Gonzalez started six games at center last season and two the year before. Noa was Boise State’s leading tackler four games into the 2019 season, but he suffered a season-ending injury. Last fall, he was third on the team with 40 tackles.
Bachmeier on Unitas watch list
Bachmeier landed on the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list on Thursday. The award goes to the top upperclassman quarterback in the country, who also makes a positive impact in the community.
Bachmeier is 11-2 as the Broncos’ starter the past two seasons, and he’s completed more than 62% of his passes in his career. He’s competing with USC transfer Jack Sears to win the starting job again this year.
In May, Bachmeier led a group of Boise State players that spent some time with a local child named Jaleel Dodd, who was named the 2021 Idaho Child of the Year by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
This story was originally published August 19, 2021 at 3:26 PM.
