After a breakout 2020 season, Seattle Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf is now the newest endorser for Gatorade.
Metcalf joins a group of young talent that includes the likes Trevor Lawrence, Jayson Tatum, Sydney McLaughlin, Christian Pulisic and more.
The 23-year-old All-Pro has fond memories of some of his favorite Gatorade ads and says that their products have been with him throughout his journey, including when he suffered a cervical fracture in his redshirt sophomore season at Ole Miss that nearly ended his NFL dreams before they started.
“I remember watching Gatorade commercials as a kid, seeing the Gatorade sweat dripping down the athletes faces and now hopefully I can be one of those to have that Gatorade sweat dripping down my face,” Metcalf said. “This just makes everything that much sweeter for me and my family. They’re a big part of my success. Along with staying healthy, recovery, Gatorade had a big hand in that even when I wasn’t a part of the team. Their products have helped me get to where I’m at today.”
Along with his signing, Metcalf’s first project with Gatorade launched today. The campaign, titled Greatness Starts with G, highlights the brands belief that every athlete takes their own unique path to unlock greatness.
It’s been a unique offseason for Metcalf. He spent eight weeks training for a bid to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics by participating in the USA Track and Field Golden Games 100-meter race. He finished last (ninth) in his heat with a time of 10.37, an impressive time for an athlete that stands six-foot-four, weighs 230-pounds, after just two months of training, and against world-class runners.
While the results weren’t what he wanted, it’s something he believes he could do again in the future.
“It was an overall great experience,” he said. “Just to go out there and run against high-caliber athletes who can one day compete in the Olympics was a blessing. I know I didn’t get the results that I wanted to but I wasn’t even mad when I crossed the finish line because it was just an overall great experience to go out there and test my speed.”
With training camps set to open at the end of July, Metcalf is looking to improve on a season where he finished with over 1,300 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. With a new offensive coordinator in Shane Waldron and some key pieces being resigned over the offseason, he’s also expecting the Seahawks to be better after last season’s Wild Card playoff loss.
“Everyone is going to be a year older and smarter,” Metcalf said. “We have more games under our belt and the game is just going to come to us that much easier, especially with coach Waldron bringing new ideas to Seattle. It’s going to be a fun year.”