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Agent Spotlight: Zeke Sandhu

It was not too long ago that Zeke Sandhu found himself in one of the most powerful sports agencies: Lock, Metz & Malinovic (LMM). In fact, the NFLPA still has him listed as an agent for the company. The NFLPA should update its database!

Zeke Sandhu was listed as one of the agents representing 3 star players for Arizona-based LLM in this past year’s NFL draft. Those players are: Vernon Davis (formerly of Maryland), Jimmy Williams (formerly of Virginia Tech), and Laurence Maroney (formerly of Wisconsin). Originally, it looked as if all 3 players were going to leave LLM and remain represented by Zeke, but that ended up not being the case. Sandhu would be dropped from the Standard Representation Agreements (SRAs) of Jimmy Williams and Laurence Maroney but was left on the SRA of Vernon Davis. Thus, Zeke still made a little bit of money this past draft.

But why was Sandhu no longer an employee of LLM? Zeke left LLM to be hired by David Dunn’s firm, Athletes First, in an effort by Dunn to land Vernon Davis as a client. Dunn was not successful. As a sidenote, Mr. Sandhu approached CAA and Octagon before becoming part of Dunn’s team.

On July 22, 2006, ProFootballTalk.com speculated that Vernon Davis would move with Zeke Sandhu to “Sandhu’s new shop, if/when he ever finds one.” That day may soon be approaching. An anonymous inside source has reported to me that Zeke Sandhu has already started the plans to create his own agency. The rumor is that he will be partnering with Rodd Newhouse and Brushuad Callis. Rodd Newhouse currently works for Scouts Inc. and is the former player personnel director of the Arizona Cardinals. He also has a blog on ESPN. Brushuad Callis has done marketing for Todd France clients in the past, and will likely handle marketing for Zeke Sandhu’s clients.

It should be interesting to see how this story progresses if/when Zeke Sandhu starts his own agency. Will he be blackballed from the other powerhouses for his unethical past behavior? Does this remind you of Ari Gold’s situation in Entourage; leaving his old agency and trying to bring his clients along with him as he creates his own shop?

[tags]zeke sandhu, sports agent, sport agent, sports agents, sport agents, vernon davis, entourage, ari gold, jimmy williams, laurence maroney[/tags]

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.

3 replies on “Agent Spotlight: Zeke Sandhu”

Why are you so worried about one guy trying to make it on his own against all the “powerhouses” …. hmmm?? wonder who has the advantage there….??

“Im not gonna do……..what everybody thinks im gonna do…………All I wanna know is…….Who’s comin with me? WHOS COMIN WITH ME???”

JAN! Thank you Jan!

ha ha

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