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Rookie Mr. Relevant

When you have your first MLB draft eligible client selected by a team, whether it be in the first round or the fiftieth round, it is a great feeling.  But with fifty rounds (plus a few supplemental rounds at the beginning), the MLB Amateur Draft has over 1,000 players drafted, leaving more than enough of an opportunity for an agent to get his feet wet if she does not mind going after a late round guy.  The NBA and NFL drafts are entirely different beasts to tackle.  Representing any player selected in the NFL draft is tough and in the two-round NBA draft is even more of a challenge.  The very last pick in the MLB draft has a .00001% of making a big league roster.  Many would think that the last pick in the NFL Draft, dubbed Mr. Irrelevant, is just as much of a long shot to make an active roster and that it may not be worth the time and money to recruit and then represent such a late round pick.  Think again.

Guys like Bill Kenney, Marty Moore, Jim Finn, and Mike Green went from being the last pick of the draft to having successful NFL careers.  Kenney made the Pro Bowl, Moore played in a Super Bowl, Finn was the starting FB for the New York Giants, and Green has been a safety with various teams (and is still in the league).  And now Mr. Irrelevant 2008, David Vobora, will be making his presence felt in the NFL…in his rookie year.  The former Idaho Vandal is expected to make his first start tomorrow at linebacker against the Miami Dolphins.  This will be the first time that the last pick of the NFL draft will make his first professional start in his rookie season since Marty Moore, who was drafted in 1994.  While I am a Dolphins fan, I am rooting for Vobora to have a successful first start.

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.

2 replies on “Rookie Mr. Relevant”

Mr. Irrelevant spends a week in Newport Beach, CA, gets a trophy, has a golf tournament, and gets roasted (among other things). In theory, the last pick should have the worst shot out of all draftees in succeeding; however, the huge press definitely gives such a player a large advantage over his 7th round peers. Look at this post alone. How many 7th rounders get a post on this site?

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