Despite Outbursts Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver Dez Bryant Has Major Endorsement Potential

The Dez Bryant story is certainly well documented. When he was eight years old, the Texas native's mother was arrested for distributing crack cocaine. Bryant then bounced around to a number of homes all the way through his senior year at Lufkin High Justin Ellis Youth Jersey School.

Dez Bryant signing items for his fans after last week's game.

In college, Oklahoma State ruled Bryant ineligible wiping out his junior season in response to a finding that he committed an NCAA violation. That did not deter the Dallas Cowboys from selecting Bryant with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. However, Bryant's off field issues continued after leaving Oklahoma State and joining the Cowboys, and the wide receiver has struggled mightily with maintaining a clean image and straying from a negative media spotlight.

Yet, through his run ins with the law and the occasional spout on the Cowboys sideline, Bryant still remains one of the NFL's most competitive and talented wide outs. Heading into tonight's Sunday Night Football Game against the New Orleans Saints, Bryant has amassed 51 receptions for 705 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2013, ranking him as a top 10 wide receiver in virtually all categories.

With promising on field production and the star studded appeal comes the opportunity for enhanced endorsement deals. Earlier this year, Bryant signed a 3 year endorsement contract with Jordan Brand, which included no pay during the first year of the term. This Fall, BioSteel Sports, a developer and distributor of nutritional supplements, signed Bryant as one of its official endorsers.

"He is someone we believe in. He is someone we believe embodies who we are and what we do," said BioSteel President, John Celenza, to FORBES.

Celenza explained that when Bryant arrived for his photoshoot with his two brothers a few months ago, he "gave everyone his time." In between shoots Bryant shot a few baskets, to the point where he eventually stayed an hour and a half longer than the time he was contractually obligated to spend time with BioSteel and play H O R S E with his brothers officialbearsnflauthentic.com/authentic-kyle-fuller-jersey.html it was that heated.

"Dez is ultra competitive," Celenza said. "When I say ultra competitive, I know every professional athlete is ultra competitive. He is ultra competitive like a Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods. That is how competitive he is. He is in that head space."

In the 4th year of his 5 year NFL rookie contract with the Cowboys, reports have surfaced that suggest Bryant may be looking for a long term deal from Dallas prior to hitting the free agent market in 2015. Regardless, the importance for Bryant to fly underneath the radar has arguably never been greater.

For Ryan Totka, Celebrity Booking Agent and overseer of Bryant's personal branding and online presence, that has meant providing Bryant with constant education on projecting the best image possible, but still remaining true to who he is as a person.

Through creating a personalized website for Bryant along with focusing Bryant's online brand around the hashtag, 'ThrowUpTheX', Totka is helping tell the Dez Bryant story not many know. www.officialbearsnflauthentic.com/authentic-kyle-fuller-jersey.html Totka facilitates between 20 to 30 events each month for athletes and celebrities, so he certainly sees those who align themselves with a host of corporations for the wrong reasons.

"A lot of the guys that we do events with, once their hour Justin Ellis Jersey or two is over, they are gone," Totka said. "They are off the clock, and they are out of there."

As Totka has worked more with Bryant he has experienced first hand the side of Bryant that is rarely portrayed in the media: the individual who stays after his allotted time to make sure every fan as an autograph, the guy who makes sure to acknowledge local firefighters and police personnel at corporate appearances.

Despite Bryant already having two endorsement deals under his belt, there remains the potential for even more opportunities if he continues his on the field success and keeps his image intact, according to Todd Sermersheim, Vice President of Football Sales with Relativity Sports and Bryant's Marketing Agent.

"He wants to win so bad," Celenza said. "He doesn't just want to win for him. He wants to win for everyone that has invested in him; Jerry Jones took a chance on him. His family. Tony Romo. One of the things he said to me was, 'I won't let you guys down. I promise you I won't let you guys down'."