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Richard “Big Daddy” Salgado Insuring The Best Of 2012 NFL Draft Class

Let’s forget about the sports agents for a second and talk some insurance.  I know, it is not the sexiest subject in the world, but having an advisor who knows about insurance is very important, especially for the players who are primed to make big money in their professional careers.  I have not covered insurance much on this blog, but when I have (on September 3, 2010), I did so with Richard “Big Daddy” Salgado.

Salgado developed Coastal Advisors LLC about 15 years ago and focuses on providing disability and life insurance to professional football players.  As Salgado stated back in 2010, “if it’s a player that’s a first or second round draft pick in the NFL, then he’s a guy that should look at disability insurance.  If it’s a guy who will be a late rounder or a free agent, they’ll probably not qualify for disability insurance.  For example Willis McGahee is a guy who took out a “loss of value” policy and unfortunately was injured in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl.  So even though he was drafted late in the first round, he wasn’t a top 10 pick so the “loss of value” policy was in place to compensate for lost money.  Willis was not a client of mine, but his injury combined with the quality of player he was and that he was at a recognizable school like the University of Miami playing on National television in the Fiesta Bowl, shed light on how important my business is for future top prospects in any sport.”

Since our interview, Salgado has done very well for himself.  And he is building quite the roster of 2012 NFL Draft players as clients.  With a lot of time left before the Draft, Salgado has been retained by Jonathan Martin (OT – Standford), Mohamed Sanu (WR – Rutgers), Levy Adcock (OT – Oklahoma State), Ronnell Lewis (LB – Oklahoma), Mitchell Schwartz (OT – Cal), and Nick Toon (WR – Wisconsin)

Salgado believes that the number of draft eligible clients with Coastal Advisors will grow to about 12-15 by next week.  He will also be at the Senior Bowl, so any agents or players interested in Coastal Advisors know where to find him.  The Big Daddy is hard to miss.

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.