What Is That White Stuff On College QBs’ Hands? 🤚🏻

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Over the last year, I've showcased some of the coolest jobs in sports, giving millions of fans an inside look at the people who work so hard to make the sports we love possible.

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In today’s newsletter:

🗞 The Big Story: What Is That White Stuff On College QBs’ Hands?

📉 Biggest Loser: Why Are Geno Smith’s Eyes Red?

🏆 Winner’s Circle: Meet the DoorDasher Turned Bengals WR

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What the heck is this white stuff on college quarterbacks’ hands?

And how is it not illegal?

Earlier this season, a clip of Louisville’s QB went viral after the ESPN broadcast spotted him with a mysterious white substance all over his palms, leading thousands of fans to point out that Fernando Mendoza actually appeared to use the same stuff last year during his Heisman campaign.

So what is it?

Origins: This is called liquid chalk; it originated as a solution for gyms in the 1990s and 2000s that had loose, dry chalk clogging indoor ventilation systems and causing respiratory issues for customers and staff.

It’s made by combining 1 part magnesium carbonate (dry chalk) with 2 parts rubbing alcohol. That way, instead of a bunch of powder covering your hands, the chalk sticks to them more like a paste.

But how is it legal? Especially since both the NCAA and the NFL ban any adhesive substances on the body, equipment, or uniform?

Well, that’s actually what makes liquid chalk so unique.

Competitive Edge: The reason football players, specifically quarterbacks, like to use this stuff is because the chalk soaks up their sweat while the alcohol strips the ball and their hands of any oil. This means that instead of making their hands feel super wet and sticky, like Stickum used to do, it actually makes their hands and the ball feel extremely dry and tacky, which is perfect for throwing.

And since this isn’t regular chalk, which might easily rub off on the ball, it’s actually legal at all levels, since both the NCAA and NFL explicitly allow substances as long as they “don’t adhere to the football” or other players.

Why doesn’t every quarterback use this stuff?

What the hell is wrong with Geno Smith’s eyes?

He’s actually wearing contact lenses that have been discontinued for almost 20 years; however, they could give him an advantage over every other quarterback in the league.

Background: In 2005, Bausch & Lomb partnered with Nike to create the MaxSight contact lenses. Their goal was to boost athletic performance by making the ball and its surroundings appear clearer, filtering out 90% of the blue light entering an athlete’s eye to make everything look less scattered and hazy.

A doctor on the project even said: “For a vast majority of individuals who wear this lens, it will give them the edge over someone of equal skill not wearing them.”

There was just one problem: these claims weren’t actually true.

No Scientific Proof: In fact, in 2007, researchers studied these exact contact lenses on college and professional football players and found that they didn’t actually provide any practical difference in visual performance.

And even though the lenses were discontinued in 2008 after never really catching on, that didn’t stop a handful of professional athletes from wearing them over the next 18 years, including Justin Herbert last year and now Geno Smith this year.

But if they don’t actually work, then why are these guys still wearing them?

Effective Upsides: If you ask Smith, he’ll tell you he likes how the lenses “block out the sunlight” and “keep the glare” out of his eyes, a tip he got from Santonio Holmes back in 2013. It’s the same reasoning Herbert gave for wearing them last year, although he also said he liked them because he was constantly annoyed of having to wipe off his visor.

Now, even though the claims of “enhancing visual performance” aren’t entirely true, one thing red-tinted contact lenses do really well is filter out at least 50% of the light entering an athlete’s eye, the same way sunglasses or a tinted visor can.

And even though it’s unclear if Smith will actually be able to wear these during a game this year, since the NFL requires players to get a special medical exemption for products like these, they honestly can’t hurt to try.

How did this zero-star wide receiver go from driving for DoorDash to catching passes from Joe Burrow in less than three years?

Diamond In The Rough: This is Dohnte Meyers, and when he graduated from high school in 2018, he was unranked with only a few Division III offers.

Still, he had a productive two-year career at Division II Delta State in Mississippi, which earned him a tryout as an undrafted rookie with his hometown Falcons in 2023; however, he didn’t make the team.

Patience Pays Off: At this point, most people would have given up their dream of playing professional football, but Meyers had other plans. So, he spent all of 2023 driving for DoorDash until 2 or 3 in the morning, and then waking up to train at 8 or 9 a.m.

However, as a reward for almost a full year of hard work, Meyers’ only opportunity was an open CFL tryout that cost $100 to enter. Still, he took it, landed a spot on their practice squad in 2024, and then exploded onto the scene in 2025, catching 65 passes for over 1,000 yards, with 8 TDs and helping the Saskatchewan Roughriders win the Grey Cup.

Grab The Popcorn: This is when Meyers caught the attention of Bengals CFL scout Andrew Johnson, who invited him to OTAs and minicamp that spring, where he impressed coaches and teammates enough to make the 53-man roster and even caught a pass in the Bengals’ opening game.

And given the team’s history of developing unknown wide receiver talent (ex., Andrew Hawkins and Alex Erickson) into NFL starters, don’t be surprised if you see Meyers in Cincinnati for years to come.

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