Drew Desbordes, better known as American comedian and content creator, Druski, launched his own sports agency called 4Lifers. Druski wasted no time making waves in the sports agency pool, signing star Florida Gators edge rusher Princely Umanmielen as 4Lifers’ first athlete client.
Druski told Front Office Sports, “Launching 4Lifers Sports Agency allows me to combine my two passions — sports and entertainment. Our team is committed to providing athletes with the resources, support, and marketing opportunities to grow on and off the field. [Umanmielen is] the top-ranked edge rusher in the SEC, and we wholeheartedly believe in his potential to become a game-changing star that will thrive at the next level for years to come.”
Umanmielen is entering his 4th season at Florida and has been included in preseason watch lists for multiple awards ahead of the 2023 season. He finished last season with a team-high 4.5 sacks and 9.5 TFLs, and second-best 5 quarterback hurries. Umanmielen was also featured in Pro Football Focus’s “2024 NFL Draft: 10 draft-eligible defenders to know” list.
Druski has amassed a substantial social media following, which has grown to over 7 million followers on Instagram and Twitter combined. The 28-year-old influencer originally wanted to pursue a career in sports broadcasting before establishing his social media career. Druski has collaborated with superstar entertainers like Drake, Kevin Hart, Lil Yachty, Jack Harlow, and 21 Savage, and was also featured in Bud Light’s Super Bowl commercial this year. 4Lifers is not Druski’s first step in the sports industry, however. He already is a co-owner of the Shoulda Been Stars team of the Fan Controlled Football League.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a well-known entertainer take a stab at a sports agency. JAY-Z founded Roc Nation Sports in 2008 and has experienced wild success. Roc Nation represents over 100-star athletes across major American and international sports leagues. On the other end of the spectrum, rapper and businessman Master P did not enjoy the same achievement with his agency, No Limit Sports. Master P’s agency began in 1998 and unfortunately fell apart in 2000. Both JAY-Z and Master P had similar approaches: incredibly successful entertainers launch a sports agency, initially signing big-name athletes. These two examples go to show the brutality of working in sports agency and the wide variability of success that may follow.
The barriers to entry are high, and the margins are low. But Druski will try to become the next great success story of entertainer-turned-agent. Umanmielen is quickly becoming a highly-rated NFL draft prospect and is a great investment to propel 4Lifers into a competitive agency.