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On To The Next One: Kenrick Ellis

Kenrick Ellis was selected by the New York Jets in the 3rd round with the #94 overall pick of the NFL Draft.  The New York media always attacks New York professional sports franchise selections in any sports draft, but the pick of Ellis was not criticized for his performance on the field.  Instead, many were concerned with the selection of Ellis based on the fact that when he was drafted, he still had a pending felony charge of felony assault.  In fact, the trial on that charge will occur in just a couple of weeks.

Ellis’ agent, Howard Shatsky of Pro Football Management, had to first convince teams that drafting Ellis was a smart move, and then deal with the media after he was selected.  Very few people felt that Ellis would be taken as high as the third round, but largely thanks to Shatsky’s connections in the Jets organization, his one time client shot up the Jets draft board.  After Ellis was selected, Shatsky went to war with the local New York media, specifically Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.  Shatsky was not too happy about this particular Tweet.

But after all the time, money, and sweat spent on helping Ellis from pre-draft to just a few days ago, Ellis switched from Shatsky to Goal Line Sports.  Ellis becomes the third 2011 NFL Draft selection for Goal Line.  They also represent #214 overall pick Derek Newton (OL from Arkansas State) drafted by the Houston Texans and #226 overall pick Greg Romeus (DL from Pittsburgh) drafted by the New Orleans Saints.  Shatsky’s only client selected in the 2011 NFL Draft was Ellis.

The 2011 NFL Draft Rounds 1-7 (Player/Agent) list has been updated to reflect the change.

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 “On To The Next One: Kenrick Ellis”

Hey Darren, Great info. Sucks bigtime for Shatsky after all the work he put in. 
Who is the lead agent at Goal line? I can’t seem to find much on them. Do they have a website? 

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