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.
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4 replies on “Rulon Davis Update”
Congrats. I hope Rulon impresses teams and is in the NFL next year. A couple questions for his agents: who is officially his agent (can you represent him Darren without being NFLPA certified)? Do most agents pay for the costs of the athlete training, housing, nutritional meals, etc. for pre-draft expenses? How did Dynasty go about identifying Rulon as an ideal client (I read up about him and he sounds like an outstanding person)? How did Dynasty recruit him (e.g., did you just send him or his coaches info about your agency)? Did you have to meet with Rulon and make a presentation? Lets say Rulon is a 3rd or 4th round pick, what is the typical contract for such a player and what is the agent fee? Thanks a lot in advance for your responses.
I’ll hold off on answering these questions for the time being because there has been a small update to the situation. Check back in a day or so once things get a little more settled.
I can answer a few questions at this point, though. I cannot represent a player without being NFLPA certified. Matthew Watkins, employed by Dynasty and NFLPA certified, can represent an NFL prospect. If we are going to take on an NFL prospect, we are going to pay for costs of training, housing, meals, travel, etc. We liked Rulon because of his tremendous upside and fabulous character. His father contacted us in his agent search and we continued to correspond back and forth. Matt flew out to the Emerald Bowl to follow up.
garrett those are good questions you ask, do you have an email address i can reach you at? it doesnt have to be your primary one just a way i can ask you a couple questions