Every year, the NFL Players Association invites a handful of rookies to participate in a weekend long marketing event called the Rookie Premiere. These players will meet with representatives from pretty much every single one of the NFL sponsors and will also take photographs in their official jerseys for the first time.
From the official release, emphasis my own:
Throughout the first major business event following the NFL Draft, players will gain information to assist in the development of their professional careers and personal brands. The union's annual orientation includes seminars focused on financial planning, brand building and group player rights. Among the guest speakers are former and active NFL players as well as NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith and NFL Players Inc. President Ahmad Nassar. NFLPA sponsors and licensees will be on site to capture player content for use during the season, host retail events and engage with rookies on a personal level during networking activities.
It's a great idea as financial planning and individual rights are extraordinarily important. One of the sponsors is Uber, so hopefully these rookies are being advised that they should absolutely never, ever, ever drink and drive and that they have access to these vehicles at any point in time.
It's a good concept for an event as these players will have the inside lane on creating relationships with all of the corporations in attendance. None of the 41 players invited were Patriots.
Your NFL class of 2015, #NFLPARookiePremiere - pic.twitter.com/pD69hT2Udq
— photographer (@NFLPA_photos) May 30, 2015
For those that want to keep score, the Patriots, Bengals, Broncos, Giants, and Cowboys were left off the invitation list, while the Jets, Ravens, and Titans had three players attend. Teams like the Packers, Bears, Washington, Falcons, Rams, Dolphins, Browns, and Jaguars had two players invited.
I guess Bob Kraft will have to teach the Patriots draftees a thing or two about business from his perspective.