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Interview With The Agent: Jeff Guerriero (Esquire “The Agent” Edition)

Jeff Guerriero via tv.esquire.com
Jeff Guerriero via tv.esquire.com

Jeff Guerriero founded Prosource Sports and Entertainment and started his sports agent career in 1997, determined to handle everything for his players so they only have to focus on playing the best game of football. Guerriero has represented more than 100 professional football players and negotiated over 155 NFL contracts since the start of his career, and his player Barkevious Mingo was the sixth pick in the first round of the draft in 2013 to the Cleveland Browns. He currently has 13 NFL players and continues to make the players’ needs his top priority by using his diverse background and expertise to aid in every situation a player could face on or off the field.

Guerriero has earned a Bachelor’s degree, a Master’s and a Juris Doctor from Tulane Law School.
D’Bria: How did you get started in the industry?
Jeff: The bottom line is I love sports especially football. I live in Northeast Louisiana where we have some of the most talented athletes in the country. I saw some of these athletic young men having trouble furthering their football careers.I wanted to help them so I started a semi-professional football team called the Bayou Bandits. We had approximately 8000 people in attendance and went undefeated for 2 years. AFL, CFL, and NFL scouts started attending the games and contacting me about working out our players. The players wanted me to represent them, so one thing led to another and I became a sports agent.

D’Bria: How did you handle your first contract negotiation?
Jeff: My first client was an offensive lineman who was 6ft. 10in 380 lbs who could bench over 600lbs. I must have done a good job because he asked me to be the best man in his wedding.
D’Bria: What advice do you have for people breaking into the industry?
Jeff: Make sure to work for someone you can learn from. Watch and listen to everything they do. Learn from their accomplishments and their mistakes. This is a very competitive and expensive business so going it alone when you first start will be tough unless you already have a client that will be drafted in the first three rounds; however, like any job you need the experience to provide him the best representation.
D’Bria: Take our readers through a typical day in your life as a sports agent.
Jeff: Sports agents work 24/7 for their clients, but there is no such thing as a typical day. We want our clients to focus on football and we take care of everything else. I do mean EVERYTHING: from car purchases, leases, home purchases, pre-nuptials/marraige contracts, marketing, endorsements, etc… We have planned wedding proposals and even honeymoons. Anything that we can take care of, we do and we make sure no one takes advantage of our clients. We do it all!
D’Bria: As a sports agent, what are some of the hardest ethical dilemnas you are faced with?
Jeff: Sports agents must maintain client confidentiality. This sometimes puts us in a difficult situation with family members and the media. For instance, when a player is injured and all the media outlets and family are calling for information, we have to be certain not to report anything without the player’s permission. This is really not a major problem for me though because as an attorney I am used to maintaining client confidentiality; however, player’s family members often don’t understand this and media outlets tend to get upset when they feel you aren’t providing them with the requested information. But our client is the player we represent and his interests and privacy must protected.
D’Bria:  How has your legal background helped you?
Jeff: I consider my legal background invaluable.There isn’t a day that goes by that my law degree and legal background don’t play a role in the representation of my clients. From real estate purchases to marriages and endorsement deals, I am constantly assisting my players navigate the complex legal issues that present themselves. I honestly feel that agents without a law degree have their hands tied in many aspects of the constantly evolving needs of professional athletes.