Sports Business: Northwestern promotes Anthony Walker through superhero campaign

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Anthony Walker is one of the best linebackers in college football, and Northwestern wants to make sure you know it.

The Wildcats have launched a campaign billing Walker as a superhero on par with The Avengers, dubbing the redshirt junior as "The Franchise."

To kickstart the campaign, the school sent around Walker-adorned lunchboxes to members of the media this week. The lunchboxes were stocked with a T-shirt, a flash drive full of video highlights and stats and a comic book, the perfect item to accompany a superhero-themed campaign. Check out the unboxing in the video above.

This type of campaign is not uncommon in college football, of course. Heisman campaigns have been going on for years. Illinois has seen one recently when Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch was hyped using a lunchbox, and the Big Ten recently saw Nebraska send out AA batteries to promote running back Ameer Abdullah.

Walker, a linebacker, would have to have an absolutely mammoth season to land his name in the conversation for the Heisman Trophy, but that doesn't mean the campaign can't be effective.

Northwestern, despite its location in one of the country's biggest media markets, sometimes has to work extra hard to get the kind of attention conferencemates such as Michigan and Ohio State get on a daily basis in college football circles.

Sticking Walker's name at the forefront of the college football world early — the season is still a month and a half away — could mean more recognition when it comes time for postseason honors or more attention from those scouting the next group of NFL Draft prospects.

Walker, through a 122-tackle season in which he ranked among the nation's leaders in tackles for loss, has already earned plenty of preseason recognition. He's on the preseason watch lists for the defensive-centric Bednarik, Nagurski and Butkus Awards, as well as the preseason watch list for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. But it'll take another performance like 2015's to make sure he's still in the conversation come the tim when those awards actually get handed out. Northwestern is hoping this campaign can help keep him in the conversation, too.

And this also should help, a quote at the top of Northwestern's note to media members"

"I think he has a chance to be the best linebacker we've ever had — and we've had some pretty good ones."

Those words are from Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald, a.k.a. one of the "pretty good ones." Fitzgerald won the aforementioned Bednarik and Nagurski Awards, as well as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Award, in both 1995 and 1996 as one of the best linebackers the Big Ten has ever seen.

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