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Did Santonio Holmes Take Money From An Agent?

In November 2005, Josh Luchs and Steve Feldman, both working on behalf of The Gersh Agency, traveled out to Columbus, Ohio to talk to Ohio State’s Santonio Holmes.  Luchs says that Holmes said the following:

“Listen, I want to save you the time. We don’t need to meet. I’ve been taking money from [an agent] the last couple years, and he’s been taking care of my family too.”

Feldman has confirmed Holmes making such a statement, but Holmes denies taking money from an agent while in college or saying those words to Luchs and/or Feldman.

Based on the allegation alone, the NFLPA has a duty to conduct an investigation.  It most likely will not conduct an investigation; however, unless it has no choice but to look into the matter.  That may be the case, though, since the Ohio State compliance office is looking into the allegations, and just last week Ohio’s Attorney General warned sports agents that he would not stand for misconduct by sports agents.

While the Ohio State University is probably safe from any ramifications if it is found that Holmes accepted money from an agent (there is an NCAA proscribed 4-year statute of limitations with these types of matters), the same may not be true regarding penalties handed down on the agent who might have given benefits to Holmes while he was in school.  In that case, it will be up to the aforementioned NFLPA, State of Ohio, or federal government to take action.

Joel Segal has represented Santonio Holmes since he entered the league.  We all know that agents who pay athletes do not always walk away with the athletes as clients, but sometimes it does end that way.

What incentive would Luchs and Feldman have to lie about this or even bring it up in the first place?

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.

One reply on “Did Santonio Holmes Take Money From An Agent?”

Joel Segal signs a player who allegedly said he was being paid while in college? That would not be hard to believe. Segal has had that reputation for a long time.

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