Until very recently, NCAA athletes were not allowed to earn money on their name, image, or likeness (NIL). This changed in June when the NCAA removed prohibitions that prevented athletes from selling the rights to their own NIL as part of their scholarship agreement. NCAA athletes are now able to make money from a wide variety of business ventures without losing their athletic eligibility. Athletes can partner with their favorite brands to earn money for themselves. This means that companies such as Alpha Authentics can partner with athletes, such as those from UCF, for the first time.

Alpha Authentics is particularly proud of being able to partner with UCF students because our offices are close to campus, our values are so closely aligned with UCF’s, and we feel compelled to dedicate our efforts to UCF student-athletes to help them realize their full NIL potential. Our connections to UCF run deep. Our co-founder, Rudi Jessee, was a UCF student athlete (then FTU) on the inaugural basketball team in 1969.

Alpha Authentics is a current UCF licensee dedicated to supporting only UCF student athletes through the shared values of encouraging good character, stewardship, integrity, and leadership. Our priority is the student athlete’s education and ability to perform their sport at the highest level while keeping their NIL initiatives from becoming a distraction.

Our first two partnerships with UCF athletes have already begun. The first with Big Kat Bryant, a Defensive Lineman and graduate transfer from Auburn. Big Kat is everything Alpha Authentics stands for – leadership, character, integrity, determination, and good ethics. We’re excited he chose to partner with us, and we will support him however we can, on or off the field, now and in the future. To read more about how Bryant came to partner with us and view his collection, visit https://alphaauthentics.com/pages/big-kat-bryant-ucf-football.

The second is with Darin Green, Jr., a returning Guard for UCF Basketball. After the NIL law went into effect, Green sought an apparel company that shared his values and was able to do creative work. Alpha Authentics was the perfect fit to help design, produce, and handle fulfillment. Green’s priorities remain his degree in Human Communication, basketball, family, and his faith, and these things were used as inspiration for his logo and apparel design. This partnership extends Green’s support team to help him succeed in all his endeavors. The first collection of Green’s apparel became available in August 2021 on the Alpha Authentics website.  https://alphaauthentics.com/pages/copy-of-darin-green-jr

Alpha Authentics is proud to partner with these amazing athletes and work together to promote the athletes, UCF, and Alpha Authentics throughout time at UCF. One of our core company values is “First, Help Others” and utilizing the NIL can make a real difference in shaping an athlete’s future.

Provided By: Alpha Authentics

For athletes, a long stretch between team practices, workouts and competition can be challenging.  If you are on your own, what can you do to keep your skills sharp and training on target?

We’ve consulted with experienced coaches to develop a brief list of things you can do to keep up with training in the meantime. Use them, modify them or ignore them. Whatever you do, keep training the best you can.


#1 - RUN
A great way to keep your cardio up, your weight in check and your socializing at a distance. Jog a comfortable distance. Try mixing in sprints, too. Sprint to a street light pole, then walk to a street light pole. Repeat.

#2 - JUMP ROPE
Three sets of two minutes each. Set #1 – Jump rope with one foot off the ground while keeping balance. Set #2 – Switch to the other foot, still keeping balance. Set #3 – Jump rope with both feet together.

Try to work up to the duration of a match, increasing the sets to three minutes each.

#3 - CLIMB A ROPE
Climb a rope at least three times per day.

If you don’t have a rope to climb, get your hands on a grip strengthener, like this one. You might notice a difference in your grip within a few short weeks.

#4 - DRILL
Get outside, or get permission to find a corner in the house to practice shadow drilling or your stance in motion.

#5 - BODY WEIGHT EXERCISES
Push ups, pull ups, squats, lunges and sit ups. Search free workout videos online that can help you with body weight exercises that meet your needs and show you proper form and suggested frequency. If you have free weights at home, mix them into your routine.

#6 - EAT HEALTHY
Working or schooling from home is not an excuse to ignore your diet. Eat healthy. It will help with your training and immune system.

#7 - STAY ACTIVE AROUND THE HOUSE
Find different things you can do to help your parents or roommates. It could be rearranging furniture, Spring cleaning, pressure washing, lawn work…anything to keep you from endless hours of gaming. If you run out of things to do at your house, help a neighbor - just keep your distance.

#8 - STAY ON SCHEDULE
Get plenty of rest, eat at normal times, schedule your workouts, wake up and go to bed at the same time each day.

#9 – WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS
While running, you should have thought about your goals. Now, write them down. Envision them. Train for achieving them. Get hungry for them. When it’s time to get back in the wrestling room with your team, you’ll be eager and have more of a purpose than ever before.

#10 - HOLD YOUR TEAMMATES ACCOUNTABLE
Check in with your teammates and ask what they achieved today. Have friendly competitions via phone or social media to help each other stay motivated and moving.

Alpha Authentics is a sportswear brand with emphasis on custom wrestling gear. This blog is provided as a guide. Medical professionals should be consulted before performing any training exercises or dietary changes. And, always have adult supervision.

Dear Wrestler,

You have a great opportunity and challenge ahead. The opportunity to win a championship and the challenge to carry the proud tradition. There will be times this season when you think you can’t continue and you’ve reached your limit. That’s the time to start pushing yourself.

The power to succeed comes from within and only true champions have the ability to reach down and push when they’re hurting. Only a person who as paid the price and made tremendous sacrifices can earn the title of champion.

Throughout life, you’ll find one of the differences between winners and losers is their ability to do things when they don’t feel like it. You must mentally prepare yourself for training each day and make your practice time count.

Be a leader – lead yourself! Provide your team with leadership through example rather than through talk. The season will be tough, but there will be moments that will reward you a thousand times over for your sweat, pain and work.

If you have no desire to be the very best you can, why be anything at all? If you can be great, why settle for anything less than greatness? If excellence is possible, why be mediocre? Why cheat yourself out of the opportunity of a lifetime?

Unfortunately, many people take the easy way out. It’s easier to be average than to be great. Average takes less effort, work, sweat, pain and time. Excellence requires sacrifices that only a few are willing to make. Average is for those who dare not to be different.

It takes a special caliber person to wrestle and excel. Excellence is their trademark and they settle for nothing less than a maximum effort.

Those of you on the team have indicated you are a top quality person and are to commended.

ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE BEFORE YOU.
DECLINE TO BE AVERAGE AND STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE.
YOU WILL NOT REGRET YOUR DECISION.

Randy Jessee
Florida Hall of Fame Coach