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College Football Players

Lil Wayne’s Group May Have Its 1st Top NFL Draft Pick

quinnen williams
quinnen williams

The 2019 NFL Draft is still months away, but the mock drafts are in full force. One name at the top of, or near the top of, every single mock draft is Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. Today, Williams is making it official on who will represent him as he attempts to solidify his name at the top of the NFL Draft.

Williams has selected Young Money APAA as his agency of record. He has the potential to be the first top pick represented by Young Money APAA since it created a football division roughly three years ago.

In 2016, Young Money Sports merged with APAA Sports Group. It united an entertainment icon in Lil Wayne with Adie von Gontard, whose great grandfather founded Anheuser-Busch and whose grandfather owned the St. Louis Cardinals.

In December 2017, the football division was further strengthened through the acquisition of PlayersRep Sports Management, which included shifting clients such as Devin McCourty, Duron Harmon, Lane Johnson, Jason McCourty and Todd Davis. It also added veteran agents to the fold in the form of Andy Simms, Ken Sarnoff, David Lee, Cody Recchion and Nicole Lynn.

The group has signed signed players such as Malik Jefferson and Derrius Guice. But the true coming out party for the enhanced Young Money APAA football division is undoubtedly 2019.

Joining Williams as Young Money APAA 2019 NFL Draft class clients are Mecole Hardman Jr., D’Andre Walker, Gary Johnson, Jakobi Meyers, Dennis Daley, Emeke Egbule and Jamal Davis II.

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.