Rep. Burgess Owens, who played in the NFL, is worried about NIL payments

KEY POINTS

Rep. Burgess Owens advocated for merit-based practices in areas like college athletics and education.

Owens, a former athlete himself, discussed the need for parameters around paying college athletes.

Recognizing the need for educational innovation, Owens spoke about Learning Employment Records.

“The best thing that I’ve truly learned out of athletics ... is called merit,” said Utah Rep. Burgess Owens while speaking to a group of University of Utah students on Thursday.

As a part of the Sutherland Institute’s 2025 Congressional Series, Owens spoke at the university’s Hinckley Institute of Politics. During the event, Owens spoke about this principle of merit, applying it to the current debate over paying college athletes and the need for more innovation in education.

“Merit