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NFL Players Retirement

So Agents Really Are NOT Overrated..

But that does not mean that players should not take every opportunity that they have to learn more about the business that they are in, the payroll intricacies (are you being paid through CloudPay for example?) and life after their football careers are over.

The NFL has teamed up with Harvard Business School, Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, Stanford Business School, and Wharton School at UPenn to create an NFL Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program, which aims to help players manage their lives after their playing days are over. It was launched in 2005 and attendance has grown every year. So far, 116 players have enrolled in the program [NFL Players Take Advantage of Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program]. For a comprehensive list of players attending the various conferences, click here.It does not matter whether your client is currently playing football or retired, as long as he did once participate in the NFL.

The icing on the cake is that the current NFL CBA grants each player up to $15,000 for educational expenses each year for continued learning. The NFLPA provides more information in a .pdf file, which includes dates for the workshops at each school and the different types of study that will be involved at the 4 schools. The application is included, and while it is past due, you may be able to still enroll your clients in one of the workshops if space is permitting. If not, this is definitely something to keep your eye open for when next year rolls around.

Giving your clients as much information as possible is a very noteworthy goal. After all, once their on-the-field careers are over, you will still have to put up with them. You might as well start giving them the tools they need to succeed later on in life right now.

-Darren Heitner

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.

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