As the start of the new NFL season approaches, Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin hosted the league’s rookies for an inspirational weekend in Los Angeles.
On Friday, May 17, Rubin, 51, invited NFL rookies and their families to the Intercontinental Hotel as part of the NFLPA Rookie Premiere weekend, where he surprised them by unveiling their official jerseys.
The evening included speeches from Rubin, president of NFL Players Inc. Matt Curtin and former players Michael Vick and Ryan Clark. It ended with a special performance by Quavo in front of the rookie jerseys.
“I just want them to enjoy dinner with their families,” Rubin told PEOPLE about the event. “This is where they get their official NFL jersey for the first time, and I want them to just feel the moment, realize what they’ve accomplished, how special it is, and then go to work and figure out how to win a Super Bowl, every single one of them.”
For Rubin, the jersey is a symbol of the rookie’s hard work. “I think it’s a dream come true in a lot of ways. They grew up fighting to do what they love, and now here they are getting their NFL jersey from their team. I mean, it’s a special moment,” says the CEO and founder.
From left: Quavo and Malik Nabers at NFLPA Rookie Premiere Weekend.
Alex Subers / Fanatics
After seeing his NFL jersey for the first time, Los Angeles Chargers rookie Brenden Rice — whose father is NFL great Jerry Rice — tells PEOPLE, “The energy in this room is ecstatic.”
“Everybody’s so happy. I’m happy to be here, especially among so many great athletes, guys who come from different backgrounds and do their best every day. And look where we are. We’re blessed, we’re grateful,” Rice says.
Washington Commanders Quattreck Jayden Daniels says it was an “awesome moment” to see his jersey for the first time with his family at the event. “It was the first time I saw it, the first time I saw my number and my last name. It’s a real moment in the NFL,” he adds.
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But the celebratory weekend, which also included a special lunch at Rubin’s house with Tom Brady and JAY-Z, is about “building relationships” with the new class of NFL stars.
Daniels, 23, says he greatly admires the effort Rubin and the Fanatics put into welcoming rookies and building relationships with players. “I mean, just hearing from him, his journey that he’s been through. We got to hear his story and everything, so it’s silly to hear that perspective,” Daniels says.
“The great thing for us is Fanatics, until we got into the trading card and collectibles business, it was really all about the stars. The stars sold the jerseys. Now we could start with the rookies, and you build a relationship with guys much earlier and that it’s fun for me to grow up with these guys and not meet them when they were big stars, that’s really interesting to me,” says Rubin.
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During the lunch, Brady, 46, spoke to the players about the importance of balancing branding opportunities with work ethic. “Every day of practice is important. You know why? Because when I was with the Patriots and we were winning for 20 years, every day was a big day,” Brady said in a video later shared by Rubin.
“I treated a regular game like it was the Super Bowl, so when I got to the Super Bowl, it was just another day for me,” Brady added.
JAY-Z offered his own words of wisdom to the rookies, saying, “You have to know who you are because those moments are going to come. You’re going to be down 28-0 and you have to say, ‘Okay, I know who I am, I’m going to get it.'”
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After the lunch, Brady shared photos from the meeting on Instagram and wrote, “I will always cherish the opportunity to speak with these young men who are about to begin a monumental chapter in their lives. I would never be where I am today without the amazing people and mentors who have come into my life at the right time and in the right place.”
Curtin, president of NFL Player Inc., tells PEOPLE, “What I will say about Michael is that he’s very focused on the lifestyle and the player experience. He doesn’t want to have a transactional relationship with his partners, especially the players that he represents and works with. him, he wants to have a real relationship, and events like this that Michael and his team organize are really about creating a great experience for the brand and for the player and building that relationship.”
Curtin adds that Fanatics has also opened its arms to players’ families, which helps foster those close relationships. “All these guys come here, the whole trip is with their family. So everyone brings a guest or two. I’ve met a bunch of dads, moms and girlfriends, and we do everything we can to make them feel included,” he says.
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