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Jimmy Sexton, Fletcher Smith, And Rick Smith Amongst Leaders Looking To Fix Football Agent Issues

There might not be a solution to the problem of sports agents providing money and other benefits to student-athletes, but that does not mean that those with power in the business of sports are going to sit on the sidelines and just allow it to continue.  Instead, a group of influential people from the NFL, NFLPA, NCAA, government, agent community, universities, Collegiate Coaches Association, and American Football Coaches Association have been meeting to try to come up with some answers.  While this discussion only focuses on football, it is certainly a start, and I hope that a similar group will be established for basketball, as well.

The participants in the most recent meeting included (agent names in bold):

  • Ray Anderson, NFL, Executive Vice President of Football Operations
  • Ron Hill, NFL, Vice President of Football Operations
  • Merton Hanks, NFL, Director of Football Operations
  • Rich McKay, President, Atlanta Falcons
  • Bill Polian, President, Indianapolis Colts
  • Arthur McAfee, NFL Players Association, Counsel
  • James Guidry, NFL Players Association, Collegiate Affairs Manager
  • Grant Teaff, American Football Coaches Association, Executive Director
  • Jim Delany, Commissioner, Big Ten Conference
  • Mike Slive, Commissioner, Southeastern Conference
  • Greg Sankey, Associate Commissioner, Southeastern Conference
  • Jeff Hawkins, University of Oregon, Director of Football Operations
  • Mike Powell, Texas Secretary of State Office, Managing Attorney
  • James Sexton, agent, Athletic Resource Management
  • Fletcher Smith, agent, Blueprint Sports Group
  • Rick Smith, agent, Priority Sports & Entertainment
  • Rachel Newman Baker, NCAA, Director of Agent, Gambling and Amateurism
  • Scott Bearby, NCAA, Interim Vice President of Legal Affairs/General Counsel
  • David Berst, NCAA, Vice President for Division I Governance
  • Dennis Poppe, NCAA, Vice President for Baseball and Football
  • David Price, NCAA, Vice President of Enforcement
  • Naima Stevenson, NCAA, Director of Legal Affairs/Assistant General Counsel

Smart agent selections.  After doing some research, I was not able to find a single NFLPA disciplinary action against any of the three agents.  I like the fact that it is not all white agents, either (Fletcher Smith is black).  And the three agents have quite a bit of experience as Contract Advisors.  Fletcher Smith currently represents Kelvin Hayden, Darryl Tapp, Antwaan Randle-El, Lofa Tatupu, and Donovan McNabb.  Rick Smith currently represents 18 clients including Alan Faneca, Jake Delhomme, and Nate Kaeding.  Sexton has over 30 clients (and quite a few coaches) including Michael Oher, DeAngelo Williams, Peyton Hillis, and Tim Tebow.

Joe Schad of ESPN.com reports that this group has discussed the possibility of post-NCAA financial penalties against college players who accept money or other benefits from agents.  This would be an interesting and needed shift away from focusing solely on reprimanding agents for providing illegal gifts.  With proper education for student-athletes in place, they have no “ignorance excuse” and should also suffer the consequences of possibly tarnishing their collegiate institutions.

Among the penalties being considered are suspensions of up to 8 games in length and financial penalties (fines).

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.