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Paying Respect To Gary Wichard

As I reported last week, Gary Wichard of Pro Tect Management has passed away at the age of 60.  It has been reported that the cause of Wichard’s death was pancreatic cancer.  His family is requesting that instead of sending flowers, donations be made to the American Diabetes Association or the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in Gary Wichard’s name.

Click here to make a donation.

Click here to send your regards to Gary Wichard’s family.

The following is written on the site linked above:

After a long battle, Gary Wichard succumbed to pancreatic cancer at the age of 60 at his home this morning with his wife and daughters by his side. Over the last 25 years, Wichard has been one of the most widely-respected and accomplished agents in the world of sports. He fought hard and worked tirelessly for all of his clients, while still garnering the utmost respect from team executives throughout the NFL. A family man first and foremost, he also considered his clients to be like family as well. This is truly a sad day for the countless lives he touched in such a profound way. Donations can be made to the American Diabetes Association and the Pancreatic Disease Network (pancan.org).

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.