Just a month after he was selected second overall by the Dolphins in the 2005 NFL draft, running back Ronnie Brown signed a deal to be a national spokesman for EAS Inc., a Colorado-baesd national supplement maker. The deal was newsworthy not just because Brown was a rookie, but because EAS was the first product to be approved under the NFL and its Players Association’s supplement-certification program.

The program was started to ensure players could find supplements free of the more than 70 items on the league’s banned substances list that includes everything from steroids to growth hormones to masking agents. The program allows manufacturers to apply for approval to state their products contain no banned ingredients.

Brown is among a group of athletes endorsing EAS, called Team EAS, that includes Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn and Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley.

The company has taken a unique approach to telling its story, featuring Brown’s post-knee surgery workout in a video. He’s wearing an EAS logo on his shirt and he does talk about the benefits of EAS and which products he uses, but it’s woven into the piece that mainly focuses on his workout routine.

No word yet on a followup to watch Brown rehab his injured thumb.

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Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez continues to be in good company. He’s joining a dozen other MLB stars in endorsing Sharp Electronics – Sharp Aquos is MLB’s “official High Definition television” – the company announced Friday.

Ramirez will make appearances and do promotions on behalf of Sharp at local retailers and events. He joins a roster of Sharp endorsers that includes David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox; Mariano Rivera and Joba Chamberlain of the New York Yankees; Matt Holliday of the Colorado Rockies; and Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers.

In honor of the new deal, Ramirez is scheduled to appear at the Brandsmart in North Miami, 4320 NW 167th Ave., from noon to 1 p.m., next Friday, Aug. 15.

Sharp, which signed a deal with MLB Properties last year, sponsors the National and American League players of the month and Hank Aaron awards. The company also has a sweepstakes running for a trip to the World Series and HD TVs.

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So Dan Marino won’t be appearing on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” but he’s still pitching products.

When I called yesterday to check on the rumors that swirled about Marino’s two-step, the Hall of Fame Dolphins quarterback was in Miami finishing up the filming on a television commercial for Fort Lauderdale-based United Steel. You’ve probably heard the radio ads or seen the print ones Marino has done for the company that bills itself as metal and steel building experts. Now the company is adding a TV spot.

Check out Marino’s endorsement for the company here.

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Fort Lauderdale sprinter Walter Dix competed in the U.S. Olympic trials in his FSU uniform.

He had turned down earlier endorsement deals said to be worth $1 million a year.

The gamble paid off. Dix has signed a multi-million dollar contract with Nike through December 2012. His agent calls the deal “record-breaking” for a track star. Read my colleague Sharon Robb’s story about Dix here.

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