West Shore Home announces NIL sponsorship with Penn State running back

Earlier this month, West Shore Home announced a multi-year endorsement deal with Penn State’s incoming freshman running back Nick Singleton.

The graduate of Governor Mifflin High School in Shillington is the first Nittany Lions player to sign a multi-year NIL contract.

Singleton’s partnership with West Shore Home – a Mechanicsburg-based, technology-enabled home remodeler with an expanding national footprint – is possible through new NCAA rules allowing college players to obtain name, image and likeness sponsorships as amateur athletes.

A 9-0 landmark ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court last year paved the way for NIL sponsorship deals.

In an emailed statement, West Shore Home’s public relations director, Kirsten Page, said the collaboration with Singleton, a five-star recruit, was a natural fit.

“Just like us, he is from Pennsylvania and embodies so many of the core values that we strive for … . He is driven to succeed and is a well-rounded athlete who recognizes the foundation of success is built on many factors. His community service and focus on academics were prime factors for him being chosen as the Gatorade Player of the Year.”

She said the company’s core values “are incorporated into what we do each and every day. Nick aligns with so many of them, including … ‘Do the Right Thing Always,’ which he has demonstrated both on and off the field.”

Page noted that West Shore Home CEO B.J. Werzyn is a Penn State alumnus, and “supporting the university and the football program in this new era of NIL is important” to him.

“We are thrilled to be a part of Nick’s career as a Nittany Lion and can’t wait to see where the next four years takes him,” Page said.

A release announcing the sponsorship drew comparisons between the speed and efficiency of West Shore Home’s remodeling process and Singleton’s speed on the gridiron, calling the partnership “a perfect fit.” Since its founding in 2006, West Shore Home has expanded across the country, and now operates 32 branches in 15 states.

In his senior season this past fall, Singleton rushed for 2,043 yards and 41 touchdowns on 165 carries and was selected to play in the 2022 All-American Bowl. He was ranked as the nation’s top running back in the Class of 2022 by at least one recruiting service.

Singleton, who maintained a 3.51 grade-point average, also volunteers as a coach for local football camps and practices, participates in an elementary school literacy outreach program and has donated time for community cleanup initiatives.

“I’m honored to not only be a part of the Nittany Lion nation, but a teammate of West Shore Home,” he said in the release. “… As a Pennsylvania native, I am thrilled to partner with a company from my home state and I look forward (to) starting the season.”

Paula Wolf is a freelance writer.