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College Football Players Endorsements Sports Agents

Darren Is About To Get A New Pair Of Nikes

D-Mac Ridin the Caddy!And unfortunately, it is not me who will reap the new kicks along with a nice stack of change in return for endorsing the Beavertown, Oregon product. The other Darren, Darren McFadden, is reportedly very close to signing a deal with Nike and may end up signing his name on the dotted line after he picks an agent, which should be soon.

Whoever that agent is will be lucky for a variety of reasons. Not only will he or she get a definite first round pick, but the agent will not have to front any bill for McFadden’s pre-draft workouts. That is because the swoosh (Nike) has decided to pay the expense and give McFadden a free ride to the Michael Johnson Performance Center, where he can scope out the parking lot for as many Escalades as he desires. All jokes aside, The Sporting News makes a great point about why McFadden may have lucked out:

This is the first year that NFL agents have been prohibited from contacting third-year juniors until the NFL officially releases the list of underclassmen that declared for the NFL Draft on Saturday.

There has been a lot of speculation in football circles that top juniors, including McFadden, would not be ready to work out at the combine since NFL agents pay for and often control the slots at the top training programs. “

This is something to remember if you are actively recruiting a 3rd year junior who is leaving early to enter the draft. The article discusses possible candidates for McFadden’s marketing agent. I think the favorite by far has to be Conley Sr.

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.

4 replies on “Darren Is About To Get A New Pair Of Nikes”

mcfadden and felix jones have both hired mike conley as their marketing agent and are close to hiring joel segal to represent them in nfl matters.

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