Drew Burress Turns Baseball into Business
By: Tony Rehagen; Photos Courtesy of Georgia Tech Athletics | Categories: Featured Stories
Drew Burress knows the business side of baseball. His father, Andy Burress, a former Major League catcher and outfielder, went on to own 5 Star National, one of the largest youth baseball development organizations in the U.S. Even as Burress played on those traveling teams as a child, honing the on-field skills that would one day make him a collegiate star and budding big-league prospect, he watched his dad handle the behind-the-dugout machinations of budgets, taxes, investments, and sponsorships.
That experience is serving Burress well as he enters his junior year as an All-American outfielder with the Georgia Tech Baseball team, negotiating the wild new world of NIL.
Starting in 2021, a series of laws permit college athletes to be compensated for monetary use of their name, image, or likeness (NIL). Previously prohibited from making money lest they lose their amateur status, student athletes can now endorse brands, conduct training camps, and even start their own businesses. “I feel like I came at just the right time with NIL,” says Burress. “I think as athletes, we do a ton. People recognize us. Realistically we are working full-time playing, training, weightlifting, practicing—plus going to school. Those are long days.”
Burress’ growing portfolio includes partnerships with Adidas, Associated Credit Union, several trading card companies, and Perfect Game, an organization that stages baseball travel team tournaments and events like his dad. Burress provides an occasional endorsement and, implicitly, continued excellence on the field. In return, Burress says, he’s getting more from NIL than just spending cash—he’s getting real-world financial experience that, along with his classes as a business major in the Scheller College of Business, will prepare him for a future in the professional world and beyond.
“You see a certain percentage of professional athletes that are broke after so many years used to living a certain lifestyle that they can’t afford after their playing days,” says Burress. “Sometimes you get the wrong people in your ear. NIL has pushed the calendar forward for a lot of college athletes
and put responsibility on us earlier so we can learn those lessons.”
One of the first lessons Burress learned was to ask for help with his newfound income. He reached out to Atlanta’s BIP Financial Advisors, where a group of Tech baseball alumni work and help student-athletes like Burress. “Whether it’s this year or 30 years from now, my playing days will one day be over,” he says. “I want to make sure I’m putting my money in the right places and setting myself up for the future.”
Of course, Burress’ closest advisor is the one he’s had his entire life. “One of the things my dad has always talked to me about is respecting the game of baseball,” says Burress. “It’s done so much for my family and me. It’s what I love to do. And if you’re doing something you’re passionate about, you’ll be more successful.
