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Memphis Defensive Tackle Dontari Poe Signs With Jimmy Sexton

Dontari Poe was viewed as the shining star on an under-performing University of Memphis football team.  The squad went 2-10 (1-7 in conference play) this past season, fired its head coach (Larry Porter) after only two seasons leading the team, and hired Justin Fuente to fill the void left by Porter’s firing.  Understandably, the talented Poe wanted to get out of Memphis and show off his skills in the National Football League.  On December 23, he expressed his interest in entering the 2012 NFL Draft.  Soon thereafter, he announced that he signed with agent Jimmy Sexton, who recently left SportsTrust Advisors, after starting the company in late 2010, and joined up with Creative Artists Agency’s (CAA) football division.

While Poe admits that the decision to leave Memphis after his Junior season was the most difficult decision of his life, at least the player made an informed decision.  After Collegiate Sports Advisors visited Memphis to set up its Professional Sports Counseling Panel and informed Poe and his family about the NFL’s College Advisory Committee, Poe submitted his information to get his draft grade.  He received his grade (2nd round) prior to signing with Sexton and entering his name into the 2012 NFL Draft.  Many scouts believe that Poe could actually end up being a 1st rounder.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Heitner created Sports Agent Blog as a New Year's Resolution on December 31, 2005. Originally titled, "I Want To Be A Sports Agent," the website was founded with the intention of causing Heitner to learn more about the profession that he wanted to join, meet reputable individuals in the space and force himself to stay on top of the latest news and trends.

Heitner now runs Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., which is a law firm with many practice areas, including sports law and contract law. Heitner has represented numerous athletes and sports agents as legal counsel. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington from 2011-2014, where he created and taught a course titled, Sport Agency Management, which included subjects ranging from NCAA regulations to athlete agent certification and the rules governing the profession. Heitner serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where he teaches a Sports Law class that includes case law surrounding athlete agents and the NCAA rules.