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Looking Back To Jimmy Sexton’s Interview At The Senior Bowl

A few weeks ago, Rachel Baribeau of the Tuscaloosa News had a long conversation with Jimmy Sexton of newly formed SportsTrust Advisors.  Baribeau got a hold of Sexton at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.  I strongly consider you to read the interview in its entirety.  The Q&A that interests me the most is the following:

Q: You recently merged with ProFiles, (agents) Pat Dye Jr. and Bill Johnson. Tell us about that process.

A: We’ve talked about it for years. We were probably the top two sports agencies in the deep South. We competed a lot against each other, had a lot of the same type clients. We just felt like it was something that would help us grow the business more in merging and bringing our practices together. We discussed it seven or eight years ago and never really got around to doing it.

Over the last year, Pat and I had long discussions about it. In November (2010) we consummated the deal. We’ve got 13 players in this draft so far, so it’s been very successful. There is a good synergy with us and the players and coaches. A lot of the football players are from the Sun Belt, lets face it. It puts us in a good strategic place to hopefully be very successful in this business.

There is no arguing that the deep South produces a large amount of talent and that individually, Sexton and Dye Jr. were a part of what could easily be considered the top two agencies in that region.  I think what concerns some agents is the line regarding the synergy between the newly merged entity, the players, and the coaches, and what kind of conflicts are created by having all of those entities under the same roof.

The other Q&A that I believe is noteworthy relates to Sexton’s belief that agent discipline should start and stop with the NFLPA.

Q: Should the NFL have something to do with policing agents?

A: That’s where it’s always been. We operate at the union’s leadership. They’re the ones that certify us, they’re the ones that govern us, they’re the ones that discipline us, they’re the ones that basically control the business. That’s what they do, so that’s where it would all probably start and stop.

This is an approach that I have not heard much of at all.  It seems to suggest that the threat of having your NFLPA Contract Advisor certification revoked or suspended would be enough of a deterrent.  Last I checked, the NFLPA send send an agent to jail.

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.