Jordan Travis details how unique NIL approach changed lives

For hundreds of college football players like Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis, the NCAA opening the doors for players to be compensated for their name, image and likeness (NIL) was a watershed moment. It meant players could be paid for the value they bring to the table as an individual brand.

It also meant they’d have incredible new opportunities to both seek compensation and to give back, potentially.

“It changed my life, I mean, I would say in the aspect of getting compensated for not only playing football but also the things you do off the field,” Jordan Travis said. “I feel that’s the biggest thing is you’re able to give back to the community in a different way.”

Jordan Travis has had a front-row seat to one of the most interesting NIL stories that has emerged in the sport.

Teammate Dillan Gibbons launched a non-profit corporation called Big Man Big Heart that promotes the use of NIL for charitable initiatives. Gibbons’ way of giving back has grown and multiplied over the last few years as his concept caught fire.

It essentially started with the kind of feel-good story you might listen to Tom Rinaldi setting up on a feature for ESPN’s College GameDay.

During the 2017 season at Notre Dame, Gibbons ran into a boy named Timothy Donovan after a game. Donovan was in a wheelchair, born with VACTERL, a disorder that affects multiple body systems including the spine, heart, windpipe, eyes and limbs, according to an ESPN profile.

The two hit it off and formed a friendship.

So when Gibbons transferred to Florida State in 2021, the two were separated. Gibbons got the idea of launching an NIL-funded GoFundMe account with a campaign to “Take Timothy to Tally.” It was overwhelmingly successful, raising more than $30,000 to help cover expenses for Donovan and his parents to go to Tallahassee for the Florida State-Notre Dame game.

From there, Gibbons’ charitable work has exploded.

Now, even Jordan Travis, the star quarterback at Florida State, is enamored with everything Gibbons has done and is itching to give back in the same way.

“Obviously the Big Man Big Heart that Dillan ran last year, that’s like a thing that was really big and helped a lot of people and helped just people across the world,” Jordan Travis said. “Like Timothy, seeing him come out to a game and smiling, it made his day every time he was there. Being around him was awesome. But yeah, it’s just an opportunity to help other people.”

Gibbons’ massive success story with the “Take Timothy to Tally” campaign helped snowball his efforts to give back. You can learn more about Big Man Big Heart here, and it’s worth taking the time to get to know the organization.

What Gibbons and other members of the Florida State community have done is outline a path for how NIL can be used for tremendous good.

And at least Jordan Travis sounds likely to follow in Gibbons’ footsteps, looking for ways to meaningfully give back to the community all while NIL helps change his life for the better.

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