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Andre Smith Re-Hires Keels. Priority Sports Pissed!

andre smith

The Andre Smith sweepstakes is over.  For now.  The newest winner (if that’s what you want to call it): Alvin Keels of Global Management Group (GMG).  Just as a recap, here is how Andre has chewed up and spit out agents thus far (in chronological order).

  1. DeBartolo Sports
  2. GMG
  3. Priority Sports

And now he’s back with Keels and GMG.  But wasn’t Smith supposed to actually be re-signing with Priority after firing the company prematurely?  That’s what his one time agent, Rick Smith, had thought.  On May 14, Rick Smith of Priority was saying that Andre Smith decided not to fire Priority Sports and that the Smiths were still tight.  Meanwhile, Alvin Keels was asking for his Twitter fans to root him on in winning back Andre Smith as a client. Rick Smith did not believe it (or did not tell the press he believed it) at the time, but Andre was not coming back to Priority.

Rick Smith is not happy.  Here is what he had to say to ProFootballTalk.com yesterday,

“In regards to Andre Smith, we are moving forward and devoting all of our attention on the high character, hard working and honest clients of Priority Sports.

“We were asked to come in at the last minute to provide credibility to his draft status and we succeeded in that task.  Soon after the draft, Andre Smith became a tremendous distraction to our company.  What we have subsequently determined is that Andre Smith does not match the culture of Priority Sports and the character of the clients we take so much pride in representing.

“This will be our final statement on this matter.”

Is this a hit at A) Andre Smith B) Alvin Keels or C) All of the Above.  I pick answer C.  Should we expect a response from Mr. Keels?  Will it be made from his Twitter account?

And wait, Priority just now found out that Andre Smith might have character issues?  Also, what are your thoughts on agencies/agents making these types of public statements?  Does the statement do more to help or harm Rick Smith and Priority Sports?

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.

6 replies on “Andre Smith Re-Hires Keels. Priority Sports Pissed!”

Some one needs to throw a professional ethics book at these guys. Are they attorneys?

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