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Sports Law

Football Agents Sued By Recruiter For Not Paying Him Off

There is a belief that many football agents use other individuals (oftentimes referred to as “runners”) to assist them in the recruitment of potential NFL player clientele. In fact, the NFL Players Association has recognized same as being an issue and in 2012 amended its regulations to prohibit certified Contract Advisors from using, associating with, employing or entering into a business relationship with any non-NFLPA certified individual in the recruitment of prospective player-clients. A new lawsuit filed by James Duckett in the federal district court for the Southern District of New York could put a couple of agents’ practices under review.

Duckett has sued football agents Hadley Engelhard and Wes Bridges, along with Engelhard’s company Enter Sports Management and Bridges’ law firm Becker LLC (formerly known as Becker Meisel, LLC). He claims that he had an agreement with the defendants to recruit NFL wide receiver Mike Williams in exchange for a piece of the commissions received from his on and off field earnings.

Engelhard and Bridges did in fact enter into a Standard Representation Agreement (SRA) with Williams. On November 15, 2009, Williams agreed to an SRA that would pay Engelhard and Bridges a total of 3% of his contractual earnings, with “33% of net proceeds of player contracts” going to Duckett.

duckett

In April 2010, Williams was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Soon thereafter, he signed a 4-year, $2.32 million contract. In 2013, he signed a 5-year, $39.62 million deal with Tampa Bay. The lawsuit claims that it was a guaranteed payment of $40.25 million, but in actuality, only a small portion of the deal provided for a fully guaranteed salary.

Anyhow, Duckett wants his money. He claims that Williams owes the defendants 3% of his earnings and defendants owe him 33% thereof, which has been demanded and remains unpaid.

Other than the money allegedly owed, this lawsuit shows the inner workings of the NFL representation business. Perhaps Engelhard and Bridges escape NFLPA scrutiny because Duckett was used as a recruiter prior to the new 2012 regulations. However, if Duckett wasn’t a licensed agent in the state(s) where recruitment of Williams took place, then this could become a larger issue. Then again, relevant statute of limitations could make that issue moot as well.

 

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.