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Renardo Sidney Loses 15 Lbs; Hires Agent Johnny Foster

Roughly three years ago, Michael Goldman (who contributes to this site on occasion), wrote an article titled, The Curious Case of Renardo Sidney.  Goldman discussed the roadblocks that prevented a player who was once ranked the seventh best player in the country from playing at UCLA or USC (two schools who were at one time very interested in having Sidney on campus).  He ended up playing at Mississippi State and the school hoped that the talented Sidney would make it a contender in the Southeastern Conference.  This past season, the team finished sixth in the SEC, just above Ole Miss.

Sidney has not exactly lived up to his expectations.  He missed a season because there was concern that he violated the NCAA’s amateurism provisions.  The NCAA found that Sidney received improper benefits and lied during an investigation, and suspended him more games the following year.  In the 2011/12 season, he only logged 22.7 minutes per game.  He also gained a lot of weight.  By the end of the season, the 6’10 center was weighing in at roughly 300 lbs.

But apparently, Sidney is turning his life and hopefully his basketball career around.  NBPA Certified Agent Johnny Foster has informed me that he has signed Sidney to a representation agreement.  Furthermore, Foster states that Sidney has made great progress with his game, has lost 15 lbs, and is looking great.  “[Sidney] has been with me swimming twice a day and conditioning twice a day,” says Foster.  As of right now, it appears that Sidney will not be drafted, but if he can turn things around, he may still have the talent to make an NBA team (or D-League affiliate) as a project worth working on.

On April 9, 2012, I also reported that Foster has signed Darryl “Truck” Bryant of West Virginia and Julian Mavunga of Miami Ohio.

 

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.