Swimming With The Sharks

An Inside Look Into The Life of a Sports Agent

By Scott Daniels, Esq., NFL Draft Bible

Drew Rosenhaus. Leigh Steinberg. Scott Boras. What do these men have in common?

They think fast and they talk even faster. Their ability to negotiate deals on behalf of their clientele has catapulted these men into a league of their own. These men are among the elite in the sports agent world. And they've negotiated a myriad of multi-million dollar contracts for high profile professional athletes.

While their athletes are performing on the playing field, these agents are out and about hoping to find the next Reggie Bush or Peyton Manning.

But while the big agents have no problems recruiting talent, there's an entire army of smaller agents trying to break into the industry of representing professional athletes. Sports agents pride themselves on their reputations and they build it by maximizing the value of their client's worth. A feat that can only be accomplished through savvy negotiating and the ability to exploit a recognized talent.

So who are these other agents?

Well, I had the opportunity to interview an aspiring mogul in the sports agent industry. His name is Josh Stevens and he is quickly rising in the ranks of NFL player agents.

Stevens, a native New Yorker and graduate from the University of Maryland, has always been intrigued with the sales and marketing aspects of the sports world. After graduating from UM, Stevens obtained a law degree from St. Johns and quickly gained legal experience in an array of areas including criminal law, family law and landlord-tenant law.

When I asked Stevens if prospective clients took comfort in the fact that Stevens was an attorney as well as an agent, Stevens replied, "Yes, especially when speaking with prospective client's families. It instantly lends credibility to your work ethic and intelligence."

A huge misconception with the general public is that all player agents are attorneys. While a large portion may be lawyers, many agents are accountants or financial advisers. Stevens informed me that the NFL Players Association now requires all prospective agents to obtain a graduate degree, but no particular one is required.

Since Stevens is an attorney and an agent at the same time, he goes about his business with the advantage of being fully equipped with a legal education. But while he may have the license to practice law in the state of New York, Stevens makes it a point to inform his clients that he is acting on behalf of them as solely their agent, not their attorney.

Stevens makes it clear that he is acting in the capacity of the player's agent and not the players' attorney to avoid any conflicts of interest. The NFLPA requires agents to abide by a set of regulations and ethical standards, but an agent with a license to practice law has an additional set of ethical obligations that he or she must follow to maintain good standing.

In an industry where following the rules can end up costing you millions of dollars, sports agents across the globe have found themselves in precarious situations. How do you persuade an athlete to let him represent you in an age where only money does the talking?

Whatever happened to choosing an agent based on integrity or loyalty?

When I asked Stevens about the notion of agents deliberately violating NCAA rules when recruiting athletes, he replied, "I'm sure it's rampant, but I work with another attorney. And as attorneys, we are held to a higher standard and a different set of rules. It's not worth jeopardizing the risk of losing your license to practice law."

With collegiate sports generating millions of dollars and the players not seeing a dime, the student-athlete becomes an easy target for an agent willing to violate the rules if it means locking up a future all-pro. Whether it's a new car, a house, or cold hard cash, agents have been known to attract athletes with just about anything.

As for the competitiveness of the industry today, Stevens said, "it's extremely cut-throat. No established agent wants to assist anyone getting into the industry unless they already have built in connections with prospective clients."

Finally, I asked Stevens what his personal opinions were of Drew Rosenhaus and Scott Boras, mega successful agents who have the reputation of being incredibly difficult to deal with. Stevens commented, "Their work ethic is phenomenal and only inspires people like me to keep going." I found this interesting seeing that both of these agents have received damaging press lately and have tarnished the image of the "sports agent."

Nonetheless, Stevens respects his competition and admires their success.

Since his inception as a certified sports agent, Stevens has represented numerous players vying for a spot in the NFL and he has several players hoping to get selected in this year's draft.

Stevens has already made his mark in the industry and he's only just begun. But one thing is for sure; the life of a sports agent is not all glitz and glamour. It takes dedication, hard work and maybe even a little bit of luck. Millions of dollars are at stake and since the vast majority of NFL contracts are not guaranteed, it is crucial for a player to earn as much as possible, as soon as possible.

It is the job of the player agent to broker a dream-turned-reality for the athlete. But more importantly, it is the agent's job to make sure the deal gets done at all.