When the long-awaited and much-debated NIL rules took effect last year, college athletes were finally able to profit off of their names, images and likenesses. Basically, they could shed the limitations of their amateur status and get paid to rep brands.
Since then, star athletes across a variety of collegiate disciplines, from football and basketball to gymnastics, have been inking endorsement deals with a diverse range of companies: Gatorade, shoe brands, car dealerships and more. As one of the best offensive players in the country, Texas Longhorns star running back Bijan Robinson has cashed in on a few deals of his own, including Lamborghini Austin, Rhoback and C4 Energy. But his latest partnership is more relevant to your next tailgate. Because it’s a new mustard called… Bijan Mustardson.
The venture is a partnership between Robinson and Callen, an entrepreneurial creative lab based in Austin. The recipe was developed with local chef Joe Gentempo, who has consulted for prolific restaurant group McGuire Moorman Lambert Hospitality and also worked as a corporate executive chef for Kimpton, the hotel brand. The idea was to create a mustard with broad appeal — something flavorful but not too spicy. Dijon mustard was the answer.
“I’ve been excited about this idea since the first time I saw it,” says Robinson. “I mean, who does this? [It’s] hilarious. And delicious.”
The mustard is packed in a nine-ounce squeeze bottle, which you can buy online or in Central Market stores across Texas. The front label features Robinson’s face and the tagline, “It’s like a touchdown in your mouth!”
Plenty more good-natured nonsense is printed on the back label, too, including an origin story that goes like this: “I’m a football player whose only mission is to score touchdowns. But there was one defense I couldn’t score on: my tastebuds. So I kidnapped a bunch of chefs and forced them to throw away the playbook and make a dijon mustard that’s smooth, rich, with a Texas kick. Now you’re the coach and your mouth is the field. Put my mustard in the game and win the tastebud championship!”
The fun ensues on the website, too, which says, “It’ll break your mouth’s ankles.” Clearly Robinson and his co-creators are having fun with this new product. But don’t worry, the mustard tastes legit, as confirmed by InsideHook’s usage on a deli sandwich and a hot dog. The recipe skips the often-used white wine or wine vinegar, opting instead for apple cider vinegar, which provides some tartness alongside the brown mustard seeds, mustard powder, yellow onion, garlic and spices.
According to the company, merch items are also in the works, so soon you’ll be able to score Bijan Mustardson shirts, hats and foam fingers.
Robinson has high hopes for this deal. Instead of just getting paid to have his face on the bottle and sharing a few Instagram posts to promote it, he took an equal stake in the LLC. So, if it does well, he does well. Considering that its launch was timed with the start of football season, there should be plenty of Longhorns fans reaching for this mustard at home or at their tailgate. Grey Poupon always seemed a bit fancy for hot dogs and burgers anyway.
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