Year 1 of the Kalen DeBoer era at Alabama is in the books. While it was an underwhelming year by all accords, there was one very conspicuous silver lining. True freshman WR Ryan Williams bursting onto the scene from the jump. The 18-year-old’s the latest descendant in the storied lineage of wide receivers to pass through Tuscaloosa. Speaking of a lineage of wide receivers, young Ryan has just got his first real taste of controversy. The instigator? A once revered WR turned deranged trouble-monger Antonio Brown. This one’s going in the #CTESPN archives but for reasons more wicked than witty.

The NIL era is well and truly underway, and collegiate athletes are maximizing their newfound opportunity. Reciprocally, even brands see a unique opportunity to connect with a younger demographic. Sally Hansen, a nail polish brand, approached Ryan Williams to endorse their product. That seems outlandish, but Ryan has been known to have an eccentric side to his persona. He rocks nail polish for each game. Similar to how Heisman winner and current Chicago Bear Caleb Williams often used to at USC. You can label it a Gen-Z thing, but it’s more down to the individuals. Sensationally, Ryan has signed the deal on offer.

The exact finances aren’t out to the public, as is the case with all these deals. But best believe the nature of the player and the product meshed together made for a massive bag. Ryan has an NIL valuation of $2.3 million, the 14th highest in the sport. This watershed deal was reported by On3, who also mentioned how “Williams paints his nails before every game, a tradition that started back in high school with his little sister. Throughout the 2024 season, the wide receiver showed off multiple colors, including orange against Tennessee and green one week to match his suit.” After they announced this quirky deal on X, the post naturally caught traction. Unfortunately for Ryan Williams, Antonio Brown caught wind of it, too.

Those familiar with AB’s X feed know to expect the unexpected. You’d think he reigned in the commentary, given this is somebody who just turned 18 a couple of days ago. A budding receiver. But then, you’d be naive. Brown quoted the On3 post with something that cannot be absolved under any circumstances. “Fa—t of the Day,” he said. It’s almost as if whenever you try to picture the world’s best receiver running the perimeter for the Steelers, AB reminds you of who he now has become a decade later. Ryan Williams opened the door for some criticism, it’ll be disingenuous to say otherwise. But Brown took it too far, as he tends to do.

Antonio Brown isn’t new to making scathing comments on unassuming athletes. He caught particular flak for his heinous tweets about WNBA superstar Caitlyn Clark last year. That’s just scratching the surface of his turn to the dark side. The list of misdemeanors is endless, and Ryan Williams just became the latest to get caught in the storm. Whatever your opinions on his atypical antics with applying nail polish, something attributed to his sister, attaching that slur to a teenager is uncalled for.

Ryan Williams gives his reasons for this weird quirk + He’s not the first male athlete to sign with the brand

“My little sister, she decided that she really liked doing nails. At first, she started with my mom. She [then] wanted to try on me. So, I was just like, [why not]. I’m comfortable in my own skin. It didn’t really bother me. I think the first time it was just clear [colored]. Now she’s gotten so much better, every week,” stated Ryan Williams. Antonio Brown didn’t embrace a nexus between the two wide-receivers, but it’s great to see Ryan embracing a more intrinsic connection. Speaking of a nexus, he’s not the only star athlete signed with Sally Hansen. Imagine being a male athlete endorsing nail-polish and someone beat you to the punch!

Sally Hansen is on a bit of a roll. Before identifying Ryan Williams as a proponent, they onboarded star hooper Jared McCain. This was also an NIL deal when he was still at Duke. Now with the Philadelphia 76ers, McCain was enjoying an excellent rookie season and was very much in the fray for NBA ROTY. He’s a sensation on TikTok as well. Unfortunately though, his season ended prematurely with injury. The brand is 2 for 2. Whoever’s scouting the college scene at the Sally Hansen perhaps needs to take their talents to a sports franchise!

Athletes’ careers are short. For wide-receivers, that’s particularly true. Ironically Antonio Brown himself can attest to that. With that, it’s important to maximize every chance you get to make financial gain. Ryan Williams’ latest move may cause certain factions to side-eye him. With prejudice or simply with shock. However, he’s going to wipe his proverbial tears all the way to the bank. As long as he continues showing out in Crimson Red, the color of his nails is irrelevant.