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NFL Players Retirement

The Tough Part Of Representing Football Players

Along with all of the money, fame, and glory of representing those who go out and give it their all for 60 minutes every Sunday comes a lifetime of pain and agony for some of those who were once professional NFL players.

USAToday has a great piece on former Chicago Bear standout, Doug Plank, who used to play through many concussions, has gone through 5 knee surgeries, and currently has spinal stenosis [A walk down the Plank: The high cost of playing in the NFL].

As an agent, not only do you have the responsibility to counsel your football client every week that he lays it all on the line, but you should feel obligated to go along for the ride once his professional football career is over. Doug Plank has had a successful post-NFL life. He has owned 13 Burger Kings and now coaches a team in the Arena Football League. Not all players are so lucky.

My point is that there are many players who suffer after their days of playing professional sports are over. The extreme cases come in the form of being paralyzed or having extremely damaged brain tissue (ex: Andre Waters). Instead of forgetting about our clients once they are through providing us with the big-time commissions, we should uphold our fiduciary duty and aim to protect them for their entire life. Along with the huge rewards that follow with representing football players sometimes comes the tough reality of what we all have to deal with once their careers come to an end.

I hope that we all are able to witness 2 excellent conference championships and that the games end with all rosters having healthy players.

-Darren Heitner

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.

One reply on “The Tough Part Of Representing Football Players”

[…] Blood Equity / No Forgotten Legends (NFL) By Darren Heitner | Tuesday, Sep 30th, 2008 |   | Vote for this at Yardbarker, BallHype, ARTICLEURL   Categories: NFL Players, NFL Teams, Other Categories, Retirement There are many players who suffer after their days of playing professional sports are over. The extreme cases come in the form of being paralyzed or having extremely damaged brain tissue (ex: Andre Waters). Instead of forgetting about our clients once they are through providing us with the big-time commissions, we should uphold our fiduciary duty and aim to protect them for their entire life. Along with the huge rewards that follow with representing football players sometimes comes the tough reality of what we all have to deal with once their careers come to an end. – The Tough Part Of Representing Football Players […]

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