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On To The Next One: Carlos Dunlap

Maybe Drew Rosenhaus should get a special headline outside of our normal On To The Next One column.  It seems like every week he is bringing a new client into the fold.  The most recent NFL player to drop his agent for Rosenhaus Sports Representation is former Florida Gator, Carlos Dunlap.

Dunlap was a second round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2010 NFL Draft.  Many “draft experts” ranked Dunlap as the best Defensive End in the country going into the 2009 season and quite a few even pegged him as the future #1 overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft.  He certainly had the talent and physique to earn himself a spot at the top of the draft.  But between being arrested and charged for driving under the influence and having a mediocre statistical 2009 campaign, he dropped to the second round of the draft.  He proved his skill in limited time with the Bengals in 2010.

The 6’6, 290lb DE racked up 9.5 sacks in his rookie season and even got himself a safety.  He also got himself a new agent in the form of Rosenhaus.  Dunlap was previously represented by Todd France of FAAM, who is no small fish in the agent world, himself.

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.

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