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Draft Stock Rise Thanks In Part To YouTube

Andy StudebakerDidn’t go to a big Division I school? Haven’t had the chance to put up big numbers on the field? Maybe you just have not had the opportunity to be seen by the right scouts, but have a lot of potential at the next level. Do not fret. A few years ago, you might have been out of luck. In today’s web 2.0 world, though, you and your agent may be still be able to impress a team enough to draft you.

Don’t believe me? Check out Andy Studebaker, who played at a DIII school and was injured at the end of his senior season, but still got drafted this summer by the Philadelphia Eagles. His first thank-you card should go to Google for its YouTube product. Here is a quote from his agent:

“It would be a complete fabrication to say the YouTube videos had any role in exposing Andy to NFL teams, because all 32 teams knew exactly who he was. But I do think it was a tipping factor at the end.”

To think that YouTube had any role in Andy’s eventual selection is a revolutionary thought. It is hope for those out there who think in a Sports Agency 2.0 mind-frame. As an agent, you must always think outside of the box, and if that means putting your client’s highlight reel on YouTube, then you better be doing just that.

“Teams were already in their [draft] meetings, and many of them asked [for the tape] to be overnighted to them,” Wright said. “I said, ‘I’m just going to post it on YouTube and you can see it right away.’ They said, ‘Cool.’ So we shot out the link to everybody within an hour of the workout being over.”

Next, a player will find out that he is drafted by a team because its GM posts the news on his Facebook wall..

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.