A Georgia movie through and through: UGA alum Glen Owen to debut feature film ‘Signing Tony Raymond'

Polyester letters delicately sewn onto jerseys worn on thousands of backs. Clamoring fans fill stadiums screaming their favorite players' last names. Millions of people are critically watching and commenting on every little move, attributing blame for losses to a single person. This is the ineffable reality for high-stakes college athletes, especially at the University of Georgia.

These circumstances grow more complex when money becomes involved. Similarly to celebrities, the greater sports world has decided that athletes should be compensated for their presence as public figures in a system called “name, image and likeness,” widely referred to as NIL.

Monetization of players has transformed the landscape of college athlete recruiting. Now, recruiting a player requires recruiting the player’s personal brand, which comes at a steep price. In his latest feature film “Signing Tony Raymond,” writer and director Glen Owen explores these complexities.