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Joe Flanagan And BTI Sports Breaking Out In 2011

One of the main things that I will be watching during this year’s NFL Draft is the success of Joe Flanagan and his DePere, Wisconsin based company, BTI Sports.  Flanagan, a licensed attorney, is a Co-Founder of BTI Sports along with his partner, Brad Leshnock.

As of the publishing of this post, Dominic Perilli predicts that Da’Quan Bowers will be the first player selected in the 2011 NFL Draft.  Bowers is represented by Flanagan.  But Bowers is only one player in Flanagan’s 2011 Draft Class, which is full of prospects.  The following list includes BTI Sports’ 2011 Draft Class along with their projected draft ranking, provided by NFLDraftScout.com.

  • Kyle Adams, TE, Purdue – 6-7 round
  • Colin Baxter, OL, Arizona – 13th best center
  • Da’Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson – 1st round
  • Bryant Browning, OL, Ohio State – 7th round
  • Lester Jean, WR, Florida Atlantic – 7th round-free agent
  • Jarvis Jenkins, DT, Clemson – 2-3 round
  • Jeron Johnson, DB, Boise State – 4th round
  • Armand Robinson, WR, Miami-Ohio – 42nd best wide receiver
  • Dane Sanzenbacher, WR, Ohio State – 7th round
  • Derrell Smith, LB, Syracuse – 16th best inside linebacker

BTI Sports could very well end up with around 7 drafted players, including Bowers being the first player taken in the draft.  Their draft class is even more impressive when read alongside the company’s current NFL client roster, which is comprised of many lesser known players including Chris Greisen, Austin Spitler, Adam Stenavich, and Adam Tadisch.  It is not as if Flanagan is in Rosenhaus’ shoes recruiting players with brochures that include names like Darnell Dockett, DeSean Jackson, and Beanie Wells.

Flanagan and BTI Sports will be dropping a lot of money on their players leading up to their Pro Days and the NFL Combine.  Other than a few players who will be training at their respective schools, most listed will be training at one of the Athletes Performance academies at a hefty price.

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.