Hyundai Shares the Road to the Pros for Five Football Draft Prospects in Rolling with the Rookies Content Series

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., April 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The life-long journey to a career in professional football is on the verge of being completed for the prospects who will be selected at this week's Draft in Nashville, Tennessee. Returning for a third season, Rolling with the Rookies presented by Hyundai is a five-episode content series that profiles athletes by bringing them back home to visit the people, places and moments that defined their journeys.

Hyundai partnered with five college football players who are projected to be taken in the first two rounds of the professional football draft – Alabama defensive lineman Quinnen Williams, Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell, Iowa State running back David Montgomery, Kentucky linebacker Josh Allen and Washington free safety Taylor Rapp. Leading up to the draft, Hyundai filmed the prospects in their hometowns and captured their unique stories of personal triumphs that helped make their dreams a reality. Hyundai will distribute the content on its own website and social media channels, and through a multi-platform distribution strategy driven in partnership with digital sports publisher and consultancy, ThePostGame, whose focus on developing innovative content solutions is aligned with Hyundai's approach.

"Our goal is to connect and engage with football fans in a better and more meaningful way by creating compelling content and sharing the incredible stories of the league's future stars," said Dean Evans, CMO, Hyundai Motor America. "These players exemplify the power of hard work and perseverance through adversity and we will be rooting for them on Draft day."

"This multi-year franchise represents a prime example of what a brand can achieve with well-produced content and a thoughtful distribution plan," said Mike Kelly, SVP, Marketing and Partnerships for ThePostGame. "While implementing a strategic approach, the powerful human interest stories captured within these episodes have enabled us to effectively engage different audiences across multiple platforms at a level rarely seen for branded content."

Hyundai Rookie Prospects

• Quinnen Williams (Alabama) – William's childhood was shattered when his mother was diagnosed with and then passed away from breast cancer when he was just twelve years old. Though Williams never showed emotion outwardly, he kept his mother in his heart and in his soul as he competed on the playing field and in the classroom. His on field talents in high school led to an instate recruiting battle that saw him decommit from Auburn, instead choosing to play at Alabama where he became a standout player — working his way up the depth chart to start this past season at Defensive Tackle with a chance to be one of the first players selected.
  https://youtu.be/yChePgOHikc
• Clelin Ferrell (Clemson) – Ferrell's mother and father sent Ferrell to a military preparatory school because they believed it would give him the best opportunity for development. At first, he was resistant to leaving behind the friends he made growing up that would be attending his zoned high school, but he soon came to understand that this journey, though difficult at times, was necessary for him to achieve his goals both on the field and in the classroom. During Ferrell's freshman year at Benedictine, he learned that his father was ill with cancer – it was aggressive, and it was terminal. The process of losing his father, his mentor, and his rock, who would be on the sidelines at all his games, drove Ferrell to double down on his athletics and academics. Surrounded by a loving and supporting family, and a close group of friends, Ferrell spring boarded to a bountiful career at Clemson that saw him win two national championships while earning multiple awards and personal accolades along the way.
  https://youtu.be/_uzk6lOjoOU
• David Montgomery (Iowa State) – As the first member of his family to go to college, Montgomery is set on breaking the cycle of poverty. He is a leader in his community and family, an Eagle Scout, and an all-time record holder at Mt. Healthy High School in too many categories to count. Even though his childhood was marked by frequent moves, food insecurity, neighborhood violence and even the incarceration of his brother and uncle, Montgomery remembers it fondly. He is surrounded by a loving family and supportive group of friends who he calls his 'brothers.' They supported each other, on the playing field, in the classroom and in the community, often leaning on each other to get through trying times as they collectively strive for a better life.
  https://youtu.be/DMX_om6uH8E
• Josh Allen (Kentucky) – Growing up in New Jersey, Allen was placed in special education classes that made him feel like he wasn't given a fair shake from his classmates and teachers. Taking matters into his own hands, Allen made the decision to move in with his aunt and uncle in Alabama before his freshman year of high school – he wanted to prove that he could achieve and compete in the classroom. His time in Alabama was an amazing experience, but he was bullied by upper classmen. He was initially reticent about playing football, but stuck with it while becoming a top receiver in the state. Before his senior year he decided to return to New Jersey and switch to defensive end which made it difficult for college recruiters to keep up with Allen, so as the 2,121 ranked player in the country coming out of high school the only D1 offer he received was from Monmouth until, of course, Kentucky had a commitment drop out last minute, opening the door for Allen to step in and excel at the next level, where he had a tremendous career, helping put Kentucky football back on the map.
  https://youtu.be/3aVtjLHe2dQ
• Taylor Rapp (Washington) – Rapp will be the just the second Chinese-American athlete to compete in modern professional football and is on track to be the highest drafted Chinese-American player ever. He's beaten long odds, undeterred by a city — Bellingham, Washington — that failed to support prep football, a high school community that openly mocked him, coaches who were unprepared to develop his talents, college recruiters who doubted him and kids who racially taunted him. Driven by the fear of being left behind and never fulfilling the sixth-grade promise he made to his brother of playing major college football, Rapp not only persevered but pushed his way to the front until he could no longer be ignored. Now he hopes to become a beacon for Chinese-American football players who come after him, and provide them with a role model he didn't have.
  https://youtu.be/ZmbHav8s5P0

Rolling with the Rookies presented by Hyundai was developed and managed by Advantage.

Hyundai Motor America
Hyundai Motor America is focused on delivering an outstanding customer experience grounded in design leadership, engineering excellence and exceptional value in every vehicle we sell. Hyundai's technology-rich product lineup of cars, SUVs and alternative-powered electric and fuel cell vehicles is backed by Hyundai Assurance—our promise to deliver peace of mind to our customers. Hyundai vehicles are sold and serviced through more than 830 dealerships nationwide and the majority sold in the U.S. are built at U.S. manufacturing facilities, including Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. Hyundai Motor America is headquartered in Fountain Valley, California, and is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea.

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