Categories
Agent Spotlights

Agent Spotlight: Mark Rodgers

Palm City, Florida. Not only the home of the great Phil Heitner (my dad), but also a place that agent Mark Rodgers calls his home. At 47 years old, Rodgers is an independent sports agent that works out of an annex to his home. I forgot to mention that the man boasts a list of 24 clients and manages to spend time with his 5 kids.

Mark Rodgers is a Florida boy. He went to FSU for his undergraduate degree and for Law School (I’ll forgive him for that) and then worked for a couple of law firms before becoming an independent Sports Agent in 1997. He mostly does all of the work for his clients on his own, and used 6,000 minutes last month one only one of his two cell phones. I have already discussed An Agent’s Best Friend before. The workday begins at 5AM and sometimes end as late as 1AM. That’s a 20 hour day, something that you will have to be able to handle at certain times if this is the profession for you.

Some Clients:

  • Mike Hampton (Atlanta Braves) – 8 year contract worth $124 million
  • Colton Willems (Washington Nationals) – 2006 1st round draft pick
  • Chris Huseby (Chicago Cubs) – 2006 11th round draft pick

Describing Mark Rodgers:

  • Master at the art of persuasion.
  • Trust.
  • Accessible at all times.
  • From a client’s father: “Communication is a very important thing with him. I heard, with some large firms, you would never get a hold of guys who represent you”
  • From client Mike Hampton: “He’s more like a big brother than an agent. I think he cares beyond the whole baseball aspect of the job.”

Follow the lead of agents such as Mark Rodgers. These stories prove that you can make it on your own without the guidance of a big company supporting you and keep voiding the myth that all agents are scummy. Working out of your home, housing clients when they’re in town, having time to spend with your family, not having anyone above you to answer to, and maintaining great relationships with your clients. All around, a great story.

[Honest approach is key to Palm City sports agent’s success]

[tags]mark rodgers, agent, sports agent, agent spotlight[/tags]

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 “Agent Spotlight: Mark Rodgers”

[…] This past Sunday, I did an Agent Spotlight on agent Mark Rodgers. One of his clients that was displayed is a man named Chris Huseby, an 11th round pick made by the Chicago Cubs in this years MLB draft. Well via Deadspin, who has linked to a Baseball America report, I was able to find out a couple of days ago that Chris Huseby has been granted the highest signing bonus for an 11th round pick in the history of major league baseball [Cubs Give 11th-Rounder Huseby Record Bonus]. After pitching only 5 innings in 4 appearances this spring, the Cubs decided they had seen enough to grant Huseby a $1.3 million bonus ($750,000 more than the previous highest bonus given to an 11th round pick). […]

Comments are closed.