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Friday Wrap-Up

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-up (4/28/2017)

The first round of the 2017 NFL Draft is behind us, and now comes the real fun? Two more days of non-stop NFL Draft talk with Mel Kiper, Jon Gruden and the rest of your favorites calling the shots. I wish every agent who reads this blog the absolute best as your clients get picked or don’t . . . it’s certainly not the end of the road, and we have seen many undrafted players go on to have very promising careers. We love sharing the successes of the agents and players throughout, so be sure to fill us in on any stories you have so that we can feature them on this site. Also, be sure to check out our 2017 NFL Draft Prospects/Agents list currently sorted by prospect ranking, which will be updated to provide information pick-by-pick at the conclusion of the Draft.

This week on Forbes:
(1) Former NHL Player’s Fight Over $10 Million In Future Medical Bills;
(2) This Week In Sports Law: Aaron Hernandez, Eli Manning Memorabilia, NFL Agent Pleads Guilty;
(3) The First Five Years Of DraftKings;
(4) BITKRAFT Launches With 18 Million Euro To Fund Esports Startups; and
(5) 2017 NFL Draft Bettors: More Than 3 QBs Will Go In 1st Round

This week on Inc.: Why Colts Quarterback Andrew Luck Invested Early in His Career

And as always, the weekly wrap-up:

Football

Baseball

Olympics

Sports Law

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.