CINCINNATI — A UC Bearcats football player is giving fans an offer they can't refuse with his new Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) partnership.
Dontay Corleone, a defensive tackle with the Bearcats, announced a burger collaboration with the sports bar Bucketheads called the "Godfather Burger."
The burger is now available at Bucketheads, located along Harrison Avenue near I-74 and I-275 in Cincinnati's west side. The burger features a heaping portion of BBQ beef brisket, American cheese and an onion ring atop a bun.
The burger is inspired by the Cincinnati native's nickname, and $2 from each "Godfather Burger" sale is given directly to Corleone himself to commemorate his new "No. 2" jersey that will be debuted this fall.
"When I committed here, the fans gave (the nickname) to me, and then I just ran with it," Corleone said.
The NIL partnership is part of Cincy Reigns, which is UC's NIL collective that helps UC student-athletes monetize their personal brands, while also working alongside Cincinnati's other fundraising initiatives.
"This venture strengthens links among local businesses, our sports stars and the Cincinnati community, which is the heart of our mission," said Brian Fox, board chair at Cincy Reigns.
Corleone said he is honored to be part of the collaboration.
"This is a dream come true," he said. "I'm honored and blessed and privileged to wake up every day and be a Bearcat."
The NIL partnership comes just a few days after UC entered the Big 12, as well as the launch of Cincy Light Lager with Rhinegeist — which is also available at Bucketheads.
It also comes just in time for Cincinnati's Burger week that runs from July 10-16. The burger will be available for $7 at Bucketheads during the discounted food week.
Corleone, a Colerain High School graduate, collected Associated Press Third Team All-American honors in 2022. During the 2022 season, Corleone had 45 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss, and as a redshirt sophomore he's now one of five sophomores on this year's preseason All-American team.
"I take pride in that," Corleone previously said. "You know I work very hard but I don't really look into that stuff. You know I work hard for my team to provide for them and step up to be a leader this year for my guys. I'm going to take that role this year."
READ MORE:
'Football is everything to me': UC defensive lineman Dontay Corleone loves representing his hometown
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Rhinegeist, Cincy Reigns team up to create beer that benefits UC Bearcat student-athletes
