A recent Washington Post article includes the following paragraph within:
There are about 830 agents certified by the NFL Players Association — more than one for every three players in or around the league — which makes it a brutally competitive business. Roughly 75 percent of NFL players are represented by just 17 percent of all certified agents, according to NFLPA statistics.
1 of the “other” agents who falls outside of the small fraternity who represent 75% of NFL players is New Orleans-based Martin Fischman. He is a main focus for the article writer Liz Clarke as she takes a look at how Fischman prepared his clients, none of whom were invited to the NFL Combine, for their Pro Days.
Fischman is a young man who has a passion to make it as an agent in what is a very cut-throat business. And he has an interesting story as well as motivation for making it despite what may be long odds.
“Health is a premium part of why I got into this business,” said Fischman, who suffered a stroke while playing football in high school. “I think that if you truly care about people, and you also have a passion for what they do, and you know there is an inherent risk involved, you can hopefully protect them as much as possible while also being a solid adviser and a trusted negotiator.”
Fischman is a fighter. One of many who will do whatever it takes to take even a bit of market share from some of the veterans of the business who have amassed dozens of clients. He and his partner Stanley Wiltz had a couples of clients selected in the 2018 NFL Draft — Tulane CB Parry Nickerson and LSU WR Russell Gage — each 6th rounders.
