JJ Weaver Has NIL Deal That Really Is “A Perfect Fit”

JJ Weaver talked with a lot of reporters at SEC Media Days. (UK Athletics Photo by Elliott Ness)

Perhaps the best interview on the SEC Network during the four-day SEC Football Media Days in Nashville was the one with Kentucky senior linebacker JJ Weaver.

He could be one of the SEC’s better linebackers this season but he’s inspirational for another reason. Kentucky fans know how he was picked on growing up because he was born with six fingers on his right hand.

Now he’s got a NIL glove deal from Nike to make it easier for him to wear gloves after having to put two pinkies in one glove for years.

“Me and my mom ended up contacting Nike. We ended up making a name for it called, ‘A Perfect Fit,’ because it’s a perfect fit for my hand, for the gloves. So they made me an extra six-fingered glove,” Weaver said.

He’s reached out to other children who have a similar situation because he remembers being ridiculed growing up because of his extra finger.

“When I grew up and got bigger than everyone else, they couldn’t make fun of me no more,” he said. “Started playing football. Got into it. Loved it. Then went to the University of Kentucky, they helped me and that’s when I started expressing myself.

“I went to an elementary school, craziest thing ever, two kids had six fingers. They never seen me — a football player, have six fingers. I blew up ever since then. I end up talking to kids now, for my platform I do.

“My logo is, ‘A Perfect Fit,’ that’s what I call myself going around, and I’ve been helping the community out.”