Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch is about to sign the sweetest endorsement deal in the NFL.
Skittles, the company signing Lynch, held out on him for a long time, seeing as he gave the company tons of free publicity each game.
Lynch was handsomely rewarded in 2011 with a two-year free supply of Skittles and a dispenser for his locker. But according to ESPN, the company will finally offer him a formal endorsement deal on Tuesday.
The deal’s terms haven’t been disclosed but it does include giving his charity, Lynch’s Fam First Foundation, $10,000 for every touchdown he scores in the Super Bowl.
Lynch’s love for Skittles started long before his NFL career.
As reported by ESPN, when Lynch was a kid, his mom termed the candy “power pellets” and would give him some before games, a tradition she still carries out today.
Now, Lynch is heard wanting the candies on the NFL sidelines.
“All he was talking about in the middle of that last drive was somebody give him some Skittles,” Seahawks fullback Michael Robinson told the Seattle Times when talking about their defeat over the Ravens.
When Lynch does run a touchdown, his celebration includes throwing a handful of the candies while the fans shower him with them.
With Lynch’s impressive season, he has personally caused a love for the candy to spread all over Washington state. ESPN reported that a Seattle burger joint now offers a “beast side,” referring to Lynch’s term “beast mode,” which consists of Skittles. There’s also Skittles “beast mode” drinks, sausages, and cupcakes being sold in the state.
Lynch even inspired the Skittles Company to create a new brand: the “Seattle Mix.”
With fans stocking up on their Skittles in hopes to shower Lynch with them many times in the Super Bowl game against the Broncos, Skittles is expected to make about $5 million according to Ad Age.