Categories
Headline NFL Players Sports Agents

On To The Next One: Stevie Brown And Greg Mathews

Blake Baratz and The Institute for Athletes recently signed both Stevie Brown (defensive back for the Indianapolis Colts) and Greg Mathews (wide receiver for the St. Louis Rams).  Both athletes had been represented by Harold Lewis of National Sports Agency.

When I spoke to Baratz in January 2011, I noted that he had experienced success recruiting players out of Wisconsin.  I asked how he was able to get such a strong grasp on the school.  His response was,

“It all starts with one player. You get one player, you do a great job for him and his family and they refer you to someone else. The thing that I am most proud of as President of The Institute for Athletes is the fact that we only work off of referrals. This is extremely rare in this business. We have built this business with 100% referrals. No Runners, No recruiters, No Facebook, No cold calls, No Website. Strictly referrals. I think that in and of itself is a testament to what a great job we are doing for these players and their respective families.”

Baratz is trying to take his formula for success from Wisconsin and make it work with the signing of players in Michigan.  Stevie Brown was a 7th round pick in 2010 from Michigan and Mathews was an undrafted player in 2010 out of the same school.  The Institute for Athletes looks to continue to build its Michigan presence beyond the signing of Brown and Mathews.  I have a feeling that the company will be successful in its effort.

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.