NFL Agent David Canter recently negotiated a life changing contract for one of his clients – a five-year, $105 million contract for DeMarcus Lawrence with the Dallas Cowboys. In an article for BreakingAC, Canter credits his success as an agent to his roots in Atlantic City.
Canter, President and CEO of DEC Management, is considered one of the top agents in the NFL. He was born in Florida and lived in Miami Beach with his mother after his parents got divorced. Prior to starting eighth grade, Canter decided to move in with his father in Margate City, New Jersey. After attending four schools in five years, Canter graduated from Atlantic City High School in 1990.
When Canter arrived at Atlantic High, he was met with a reality check. As he puts it, he was a “privileged kid whose arrogance was quickly met with reality,” and “sometimes you need to get kicked in the teeth.” Canter was quickly humbled and highly influenced by his mentor and high school football coach, Bobby Weiss. “I owe a lot to Bobby Weiss,” Canter said.
Weiss wasn’t surprised about his former player’s success as an NFL agent. “Even as a student athlete he had this confidence about him you see in kids that can’t miss. As a high school athlete, he had outstanding self-esteem,” Weiss said. “He really believed in himself. You knew, whatever he did, he’d be okay.”
He credits his success to his upbringing in Atlantic City because he got to see the struggles and resiliency of individuals across all walks of life. “Thank God I went to Atlantic City High School and grew up in Margate and Ventnor. I think it’s why I can relate with younger people. I think it’s why I can relate to a kid who may come from a broken home, who doesn’t have the means, kids who grew up without a dad.”
“I don’t think, as a human being, I really started to develop until I got there,” Canter said.
After graduating from Atlantic City High School, Canter went on to graduate from Ithaca College (New York) and the University of Miami School of Law. While attending law school, Canter had a chance meeting at a Shell gas station with Lamar Thomas, former University of Miami standout wide receiver and ex-Miami Dolphin. After their meeting, Thomas became Canter’s first client. The rest is history.
Canter’s NFL client roster consists of about 30 clients including Eric Weddle, Olivier Vernon, DeMarcus Lawrence and Domata Peko.
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