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NFL Agents Implicated In Yahoo! Report Concerning Benefits To SEC Players

Arizona Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) looks on during training camp at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Arizona Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) looks on during training camp at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
One agent says that former LSU safety Tyrann Mathieu was on Luther Davis’ list of “solid relationships.” Photo Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Three football agents had their names listed front-and-center as part of a new investigative report published by the team of Charles Robinson and Rand Getlin at Yahoo! Sports.  Those agents are Andy Simms of PlayersRep Sports Management, Peter Schaffer of Authentic Athletix and John Phillips, who was formerly the owner of Breakthrough Sports Agency (BTSA), but now focuses on his personal injury legal practice.

The article titled, Ties between former Alabama player and agents documented by text messages, says that the aforementioned agents (along with a financial adviser) had provided money to former Alabama defensive end Luther Davis and that Davis was providing benefits to Southeastern Conference (SEC) football players at the same time.  Those players were Alabama offensive tackle D.J. Fluker, Tennessee defensive lineman Maurice Couch, Tennessee QB Tyler Bray, Mississippi State wide receiver Chad Bumphis, Mississippi State defensive end Fletcher Cox and possibly Alabama safety Mark Barron.

Simms and Schaffer told Yahoo! Sports that they had no knowledge and never consented to Davis providing any such benefits to others.  Phillips declined to respond to the Yahoo! investigative reporters.  Only one of the three agents have responded to Sports Agent Blog’s further inquiry into the matter.

“Charles [Robinson] was very irresponsible and possibly libelous in his article and was a coward not returning my call yesterday,” said John Phillips to Sports Agent Blog.  “There was a lot of context left out.”

Why were Simms, Schaffer and Phillips purportedly shifting money to Davis?  According to the Yahoo! Sports article,

When contacted by Yahoo Sports, Simms, Schaffer, Phillips and Rowan each independently said Davis had expressed a desire to be a manager or “concierge” for NFL players, and had offered to put them in touch with potential NFL draft picks.

That desire to be a manager for NFL players was confirmed by another agent speaking to Sports Agent Blog on condition of anonymity.  And according to that agent, there were many in the agent community who wanted Davis to work exclusively with them in the recruitment of athlete clients.  Davis was offering a “full concierge service” that apparently included a laundry list of items.  Additionally, he wanted a commission from agents for handling all managerial and concierge services.

Further, Sports Agent Blog was told that while Davis may have only provided benefits to a select number of SEC players, he was holding himself out to agents as having “solid relationships” with many others, including LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu, Tennessee wide receiver Justin Hunter and Arkansas wide receiver Ronnie Wingo Jr.

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.

One reply on “NFL Agents Implicated In Yahoo! Report Concerning Benefits To SEC Players”

Right. That knucklehead is going to sue, and give subpoena power to Charles Robinson? When pigs fly…

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