MIAMI — Francis Suarez, the mayor of this city, held the football jersey up for the cameras to capture. His last name crawled across its back—SUAREZ—a gesture for his appearance here at The Wharf for a somewhat historic ceremony.
The jersey in his clutches, Suarez glanced toward Miami quarterback D’Eriq King, smiled and geared up to drop his one-liner.
“So if you sign it,” he motioned toward the jersey, “I’d have to pay you?”
Everyone chuckled. Suarez smiled. And King slightly nodded.
Yes, mayor, you’d have to pay.
On the first day that college athletes could earn compensation from their name, image and likeness, King offered a glimpse into what life may be like for high-profile quarterbacks.