Jordan Spieth signs endorsement deal with Coca-Cola

LeBron James. Jennifer Aniston. Taylor Swift. Jordan Spieth.

The Texas Longhorns alum and rising golf superstar signed a significant endorsement deal with Coca-Cola that rivals similar deals with those other pop culture icons, a source familiar with the negotiations told ESPN. The terms of the deal were not initially released.

"Coca-Cola has always been associated with iconic sporting events and some of the world's greatest athletes, so this is an incredibly cool opportunity for me," Spieth said in a statement. "As a brand ambassador, I look forward to growing awareness for the sport of golf globally and engaging with fans in exciting new ways."

The deal continues a rapid and incredible ascent by Spieth, who made more than $50 million in 2015 and also has endorsement deals with AT&T, Under Armour, Titleist, and Rolex, among others.

But these deals aren't just the result of a spectacular run in 2015 that included two Major titles and a win at the FedEx Cup in 2015 that propelled him to the top of the official world golf rankings -- the Coca-Cola deal, and the others he's signed recently, are about his personal appeal due to the way that he carries himself.

In fact, Coca-Cola wasn't looking to fill a specific spot. Rather, the endorsement grew out of what the company saw from Spieth at the Tour Championship.

"Jordan is a tremendous athlete who not only represents the golf community but American culture," said Peggy Loos, the vice president of connections activation. "He is authentic, comes across as modest and very much represents the values of our company."

By last April, Spieth's likability had already reached remarkably high levels -- in a study conducted by a Dallas marketing firm, Spieth ranked No. 5 among nearly 4,000 celebrities in endorsement value because people want to be like him. At the time, he was lacking a bit in name recognition, but with the exposure his new deal with Coca-Cola will provide and the likelihood that he'll once again compete for Major championships, he'll continue to surge in name recognition if he hasn't already.

Respected sportswriter Dan Jenkins shared his opinion of Spieth in an interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram last May.

"Jordan Spieth is the real deal," Jenkins said. "As I tweeted from Augusta, he appears to be the perfect Texas pro. He has the will and the focus of Ben Hogan, the likability of Byron Nelson and the putting stroke of Ben Crenshaw."