Upland Studios Launches Bespoke Authorship Practice With Commission of Former NFL Player Dontrell Jonson

Santa Fe, NM — December 2025

Upland Studios today announced the commissioning of former NFL player and performance trainer Dontrell Jonson as the inaugural participant in its newly launched Bespoke Authorship Practice.

The Bespoke practice is a private, one-to-one commissioning model created for individuals whose careers and lived experience warrant intentional preservation through authorship. Operating independently from Upland Studios’ Residency program, Bespoke commissions are editorially guided and discreet by design.

Jonson’s work will focus on performance, discipline, leadership, and identity beyond professional sport—translating years of experience on and off the field into a permanent body of intellectual property.

“Bespoke work is about discernment,” said April Sheris, President of Upland Studios. “Some stories don’t need incubation. They need care, structure, and authorship. Dontrell’s work reflects that distinction.”

Upland Studios’ Bespoke practice marks a new chapter in the company’s broader mission to preserve cultural intelligence through publishing, media, and intentional storytelling. While Upland’s Residency program serves as the required pathway for consideration into its annual anthology, THE ICONS, Bespoke commissions operate separately and are reserved for select individuals whose work stands independently.

Jonson is a former NFL player and respected performance trainer whose post-league career centers on mentorship, physical excellence, and leadership development.

This commissioning represents the first of a limited number of Bespoke projects Upland Studios will undertake.

About Upland Studios

Upland Studios is a cultural publishing and media company dedicated to shaping, preserving, and presenting stories that define modern leadership and influence. Through bespoke authorship, residency-based editorial development, and curated publications, Upland Studios treats story as intellectual property and cultural record.