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The Role of Agents in Their Clients’ Off Field Lives and Post Playing Careers

The following guest post is by Travis Bell, NBPA certified agent and Founder & CEO of The Seven Bridges Group.

Junior Seau 1969-2012

That right there is enough to leave anyone with two brain cells to rub together in a state of shock.

Look, right off the top, spare me the holier than thou, sanctimonious & judgmental soliloquies from atop your soapbox. I see the comments mentioning the words ‘selfish’, ‘coward’, ‘he took the easy way out’.

None of you Monday Morning Psychologists have a clue about what this young man was going thru.

You (or I) don’t know about his condition, medically or mentally. All we know is this man is gone, way too soon and that’s ALL we need to know.

However, this is a call to arms –  not to the NFL, the NFLPA, doctors, or other professionals involved in the sport of professional football. This is a call to my peers in the Sports Management business.

Now before you get yourselves wrapped around the axle, I’m a nobody in this business, hell I’m a nobody in general. But as a relative newcomer (7 years), I think I know enough to say we have to do a better job for our clients, not only during their playing careers but AFTER their playing careers have ended.

I get that we can’t save the world.  I’m far from being a left-wing extremist and I damn sure am not right wing either. But what I am is a human being. In this day and age of technology, social media, 24 hour news, weather and sports, where do we find the time to be what we are at our very core – a human being?

We spent the past 18 months preparing for the just completed NFL draft. On average, we spent about $12,000 preparing our clients for their respective Pro Days and the NFL Combine.

We go thru great lengths to provide the best we can for our clients during their playing careers, we now need to step up our efforts and be there for them after the final horn sounds or out is recorded.

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.

One reply on “The Role of Agents in Their Clients’ Off Field Lives and Post Playing Careers”

Hey Travis,

I’m so glad someone else feels the same I’ve been saying this for years. As you I’m fairly new but have seen enough and worked at agencies that prescribed to just thst, which why I started my own firm. I recall my time in California and I was impressed with one of my mentors Dr. Harry Edward’s and he told me to pit myself in the players show first before I make any decision or advise. My job is to advocate and assist without compromisong my values and morals even if I lose a star client. Well said Travis.

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