Four local NCAA athletes have signed Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) deals with Farmers Bank & Trust (FBT). Derrian Ford, Landon Jackson, Carlee Ratcliff and Frankie Price (in alphabetical order) will be partnering with the bank for the upcoming year.
Chris Gosnell, FBT’s chief executive officer, is excited by this new opportunity to support education locally. “These first four student partners will be the beginning of deepening our relationships with our Farmers communities through NIL support,” Gosnell said. “We can’t wait to see our Farmers student- athletes continue to excel.”
Ford graduated from Magnolia High School and will be playing as a freshman for the University of Arkansas (UA) men’s basketball team. In his high school career, Ford was named the state final Most Valuable Player three times. This March, Ford led in scoring at Magnolia’s state championship final against Blytheville, capping off the team’s undefeated season.
Sophomore Jackson joined UA’s football team on the defensive line after transferring from Louisiana State University last year. He graduated from Pleasant Grove High School in Texarkana, Texas. There he helped win two state football championships. As a junior in high school, Texas Sports Writers Association named him 2019’s 4A Defensive Player of the Year.
Ratcliff of New Boston, Texas is entering her sophomore year playing for the University of Texas (UT) softball team. During her freshman year she played 16 games as pinch hitter/runner, third baseman or outfielder. She is part of the first team in UT’s program history to reach the championship series of the Women’s College World Series.
Rising sophomore Price hails from Coppell, Texas and is a member of the UA gymnastics team. She trained with renowned team Texas Dreams Gymnastics and competed in national competitions. She qualified for the Junior Olympic Nationals in 2018 and the Nastia Liukin Cup in 2019. “We look forward to cheering on Derrian, Landon, Carlee and Frankie in their upcoming seasons,” said Gosnell.
