Alabama football guard Tyler Booker looked down as he lifted the chain.
The light from outside in downtown Dallas flooded the hallway late in the morning Wednesday, but the brightest, most shimmery thing wasn’t the sun. Instead, Booker’s custom-designed chain hanging from his neck glimmered the most. His initials stood out in the middle. “RespeCT” sat near the top, with the CT in all caps for his home state, Connecticut. Below his big and bold initials was “Est. 2004” for his birth year. Then the bottom featured his full name. There were no accidents in the design.
Consider it a microcosm of Booker’s approach to branding. The junior guard has grabbed his image and publicity like the chest plate on a linebacker’s shoulder pads.
Booker’s in control.
“We’re one of the few sports where athletes aren’t as recognizable,” Booker told AL.com. “We literally play with a helmet on. Other sports have their stories told. I feel like I have a very unique story and I want to have my story told. Doing media gives me the avenue to do so.”
It’s why he was a perfect pick to attend SEC Media Days on behalf of Alabama football. Booker is both strong in front of microphones and has fun with it. He speaks unafraid, not viewing media appearances as something to avoid messing up, but something that can be beneficial.
Alabama offensive lineman speaks during the Southeastern Conference NCAA college football media days Wednesday, July 17, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)AP
“Control your narrative,” Booker said on advice he received. “Have in your mind what narrative you want to push out, and whatever question is given to you, make sure you push out your narrative during it.”
And maybe even have some fun doing it. Another comment he made Wednesday showcased that as he grabbed national headlines.
Booker was asked about his former coach Nick Saban predicting Georgia and Texas will play in the SEC Championship Game. Rather than brush it off, Booker leaned in fully. Undaunted. Responding with wit and tact.
“He would get mad at me if I felt that way about what he said,” Booker said. “He always used to say, ‘Don’t let somebody who lives in their mom’s basement determine how you feel.’ So I’m not gonna let a guy who plays golf all day determine how I feel.”
That’s a man speaking with intent. The kind of person who isn’t looking for a spot in the shadows. Booker is a public figure who knows he has a brand whether he wants to or not, and he’s choosing to shape it himself.
Booker has had some training. In addition to what he’s learned at Alabama, he took part in a branding camp through Under Armor in Portland, Oregon. Booker said much of the focus of the camp was on what he wanted his brand to be and what he wants it to represent.
The chain he wore around his neck to SEC Media Days captured that better than anything. He not only wanted it to include certain words but for it to have a certain feel. It represented who he is and what he wants to become as he progresses in his career as a football player. A crown sat on top of the chain because he wanted it to have a feel that’s royal.
“It’s really how I want to live, like royalty,” Booker said. “I want to set up my family like a royal family. Generational wealth.”
Just call him the branding king.