Alabama football's Ryan Williams has signed an NIL deal with nail polish brand Sally Hansen. The first-team All-SEC wide receiver showed off Sally Hansen's all black offering in a joint Instagram video posted on Sunday, February 9, his 18th birthday.

“Big game and birthday ready with @sally_hansen #sallyhansenpartner,” he captioned the post.

Williams is known for painting his nails before each game, a tradition that began in high school, thanks to his younger sister.

“My little sister she decided that she really liked doing nails,” he explained on an October episode of Hey Coach! Show with Kalen DeBoer. “And first she started with my mom. And she wanted to try on me. So, I was just like, I’m comfortable in my own skin. It didn’t really bother me. I think the first time it was just clear. Now she’s gotten so much better, every week.”

Though he stuck with the black for his birthday, Williams has been known to switch it up. He once painted them green to match his suit and, controversially, went with orange the week Alabama faced Tennessee.

“A couple of the guys, they got fired up at me. They thought it was for the opposing team,” Williams explained before clarifying that his sister chooses the color.

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Alabama football freshman Ryan Williams joins Jared McCain on the NIL nail polish train

Dec 6, 2024; Birmingham, AL, USA; Saraland graduate and current Alabama Crimson Tide receiver Ryan Williams flashes a victory sign as he watches Saraland play Parker at Protective Stadium in the 6A State Championship game.
Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Williams isn't the first male college athlete to strike an NIL deal with a nail polish brand. Jared McCain, now of the Philadelphia 76ers, had a deal with Sally Hansen last season while he played basketball at Duke.

“Everybody should do self-care. For me, it’s nail painting. I’m sorry if that offends any of you guys,” McCain said at the time. There’s no crazy reason I [paint my nails]. It helps me not bite my nails. I went to a salon one time, picked out a color, and thought it looked nice. Many people disagree and don’t like it, but I’m going to be myself and do what I think looks nice.”

Williams also faced a few fans in his Instagram comments who weren't supportive of the deal, but he seemed to be more concerned with enjoying his birthday than feeding the trolls. The video also included clips of him cutting his cake, playing pop-a-shot and celebrating with birthday balloons adorning his wall.

Though he's now out of college, Caleb Williams has also taken to painting his nails for the gridiron. He explained that he does it as a tribute to his mom, a nail technician.