Building a better NFL agent
A parent of a potential 2013 draftee, who was smart enough to sense something fishy, sent me a scouting report that came from a top agent who claimed he got it “from a top NFL team scout”. The parent didn’t tell me whom it was from and simply asked my opinion of it. The scouting report said he would be a top ten pick and will go to multiple pro bowls. It took me about thirty seconds to figure out the report was a phony as not one team in the NFL uses such a format. Just to be sure, I sent it to one current NFL scouting director and one retired director and they both quickly concurred it was a really bad phony. This is just one example of the many unprofessional shenanigans parents and players have to put up with in the recruiting process. The agent was obviously trying to show the parent that he had proprietary inside information about his son.
Arli$$ catered to his clients' every need.
Unfortunately, the best, most capable, ethical and hard working agents don’t always get the best players. The best salesmen with the biggest promises and biggest inducements usually win the recruiting wars. Although there are very professional large agents/agencies, there is still incredible room for growth for more professionalism, ethics and hard working agents.
Here are some examples of the most popular inducements still at work in the industry:
-All expense paid trip to the Super Bowl under the guise that we will introduce you to corporate America.
-The marketing guarantee/advance: Here’s $100,000 right now against future marketing earnings that we are confident we will get for you.
-Line of credit up to 500k
Here are some of the more frequently used pitches that players can fall for:
-We represent head coaches and GMs so we are better connected to the decision-makers, which can help your draft stock.
-We have a proven formula for getting you drafted higher.
-We have the best Combine training available.
The truth of the matter is that if you take a young man who is trying to prepare for the Combine, all-star games, pro days and interviews, take him to a party at the Super Bowl for four days, give him a car and an unsupervised 6 figure line of credit, pamper him for the sake of schmoozing to win the recruiting war, you are encouraging a player to spend, get into debt and relax and start enjoying the fruits of the game while he has yet to secure a contract. I know of one midwest agent who boldly gives his recruits a blank check before signing and says, “Take as much as you want or need. That’s how much I believe in you.”
CONTINUE READING ABOUT AGENTS ON PAGE TWO...