Submitted photo: Brody Teske, a former Fort Dodge state champion (left), shakes the hand of Brown’s Shoe Fit Company of Fort Dodge owner Craig Jarrard. Teske, a University of Northern Iowa wrestler, has signed a Name Image Likeness deal with the local business.

The first official Name Image Likeness partnership in city history comes with a familiar name and a fitting local connection.

Four-time Fort Dodge Senior High state wrestling champion Brody Teske has inked a deal with Brown’s Shoe Fit Company, as the University of Northern Iowa wrestler is returning to his roots in collaboration with local store owner Craig Jarrard moving forward.

The NCAA’s new NIL policy, adopted earlier this summer, allows student-athletes to profit from their recognition while on campus. This particular storyline isn’t as much about big money or extraordinary benefits, though. Both Teske and Jarrard have the future of Fort Dodge in mind first and foremost as a proactive local tandem.

“I can’t even put into words how much something like this means to me,” said Teske, a 2018 FDSH graduate. “It’s special, particularly in this day and age, to find a way to support local businesses. Brown’s Shoe Fit does so much for our community back home. I’m proud to be representing them in this way.

“Craig has a really big vision for what he wants to see out of Fort Dodge, and Brown’s supports an active and healthy lifestyle, which of course I am on board with. I’m really just about being loyal to my community and the people who invest in it more than anything else. I’m excited to see where this goes.”

Teske, last year’s Big 12 champion, was a national quarterfinalist at 125 pounds with a 14-3 overall record in 2021. He was the first major-conference tourney gold medalist from Fort Dodge since former NCAA All-American Wayne Cole, who won a Big 8 crown for Iowa State as a heavyweight in 1983.

“Brody and I have talked a lot about the mindset of local helping local,” Jarrard said. “Partnering with a student-athlete like Brody is a natural fit for us. He’s a high-quality individual. His parents, Dan and Wendy, are great people. His sister, McKinna, used to work for us. I’ve known Brody since he was about five years old.

“We’re just getting started with all of this, learning the ins and outs and details (of an NIL deal). But we know how much Fort Dodge means to him and how much he wants to see our town succeed. We are very similar in that mindset. It’s going to be an exciting time for Brody and the Panther (wrestling program) these next few years, so it’s an honor to be on board with him in this capacity.”

Teske finished as the Dodgers’ all-time leader for career victories at 177, and is the school’s only four-time individual state champ. Fort Dodge won the team title during Teske’s senior year in 2018.