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Leigh Steinberg Launches New Agency And Houston Businessmen Show Him The Money

Leigh Steinberg's most popular piece on Forbes.com is
Leigh Steinberg launched a new sports and entertainment company backed by three Houston, Texas-based businessmen.

Congratulations to Leigh Steinberg.  After struggling with alcoholism, the former agent for Troy Aikman, Steve Young, Warren Moon, Ben Roethlisberger and many other prominent quarterbacks in the NFL (along with premier professionals in other sports) is three-years sober.  He is an adjunct professor of Sports Law at Chapman University, a contributing writer to Yahoo!, FORBES and The Huffington Post, and the author of an autobiography due to be published in 2014.

Steinberg is also once again a sports agent.  He passed the 2013 NFLPA Contract Advisor examination and just recently announced the launching of his new sports and entertainment company, Steinberg Sports and Entertainment.

It is hard not to feel happy for Steinberg.  His story is one of tremendous highs, troubling lows and yet again the chance to achieve personal success.  If you ask Steinberg, he would probably tell you that he is already there — the fact that he defeated alcoholism is a win.  Then again, he cares too much about his clients and potential clients to be content.  We are talking about the agent who crusaded against the NFL’s concussion policy long before any lawsuits were filed and potential multi-million dollar settlements reached.

Steinberg wants to once again represent NFL, NBA and MLB players and coaches.  At sixty-four years of age, he is not going to let anyone tell him he cannot do it.  And the little reported story is that others (with money) believe in him.

According to the Houston Chronicle, three Houston-based businessmen are financially backing Steinberg as he gets ready to start recruiting new clientele.  In fact, Steinberg eventually plans to open up an office in Houston, Texas.  The businessmen are Scott Irwin (owner of Apex Steel Pipe & Piling Inc.), Andy Priest (CEO at TRE Financial Services) and William Dore Jr.

Steinberg hopes that the financial assistance will help him secure the resources needed to effectively compete with a new breed of agents.

“Our goal with this organization is to change the world again,” said Steinberg. “We have done it before, and it’s still the core of our mission – to be agents of change to improve people’s lives and use the power of sports, branding and media to make the world a better place.”  At least the Houston-based businessmen believe in him and feel it is worth whatever risk there may be to bet on football agent Leigh Steinberg.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.