Categories
NFL Players Sports Business

Roc Nation Sports Strengthens Football Division With Erik Burkhardt

Roc Nation Sports

Erik Burkhardt, who has been certified as an NFLPA Contract Advisor for 17 years, has joined Roc Nation Sports as co-head of the company’s football division. He will share the responsibility of managing and growing Roc Nation Sports’ football division along with Kim Miale and John Thornton.

Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals), Bradley Chubb (Denver Broncos), Frank Clark (Kansas City Chiefs), Marcus Maye (New Orleans
Saints), Tyler Higbee (Los Angeles Rams), Irv Smith Jr. (Minnesota Vikings), Jordyn Brooks (Seattle Seahawks), Devin Duvernay (Baltimore Ravens), Terence Steele (Dallas Cowboys), Jamel Dean (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Germaine Pratt (Cincinnati Bengals), Brandon Jones (Miami Dolphins), and Kliff Kingsbury (Arizona Cardinals) will go with Burkhardt to Roc Nation Sports, per a release. These athletes and coach Kingsbury were previously with Burkhardt when he was most recently at Select Sports Group, which became a part of ICM-Select’s NFL division.

Burkhardt says that he considered several sports agencies before committing to Roc Nation Sports.

“My team and I are thrilled to be joining a world class agency in Roc Nation Sports,” said Burkhardt. “In an effort to always grow and evolve for our clients, I’ve had the unique opportunity to sit down with several agencies and deeply explore all aspects of the industry and the future possibilities for our clients. The Roc family is very different than the rest. What JAY-Z and Juan Perez have built at Roc Nation Sports is truly authentic and forward-thinking. I am grateful for the seamless transition into the agency and look forward to working closely with Kim and John to continue building upon their tremendous success.”

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.