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CFL College Football Players

Choosing A Different Route

Former University of Kansas record-breaker chooses the Canadian Football League over the NFL.

Yesterday, I was asked an interesting question when I was interviewed by aStupidRadio. The question was something along the lines of “How could you tell a client that he should accept a smaller offer than the highest one that he is presented?” I responded by saying that one of the worst things to have happen is to be overvalued when entering a league, because a team will quickly realize that the player is being overvalued, and that player will not have an ability to perform and increase his value. It appears that Jon Cornish is a follower of my theory.

Jon Cornish just graduated from the University of Kansas. You may have never heard of him, but last year, he ran for more yards in a single year than any previous RB at the University of Kansas. He did not get drafted, but received numerous offers from NFL teams to join their rosters as a free-agent [Record-setting back joining Stamps]. He could have accepted an offer, make a meager amount of guaranteed dollars and most likely get cut before he made anything substantial. Instead, it seems that he will sign with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. In the CFL, Cornish will have an opportunity to grow and improve on his strengths. Maybe in a couple of years we will see him in the NFL.

Just another thought to throw out there for Sports Agents. Would you ever promote the CFL over joining an NFL team as a free-agent after not being drafted?

-Darren Heitner

p.s. – My official “letter of intent” for law school will be posted at midnight! Yeah…I’m a dork.

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.

3 replies on “Choosing A Different Route”

It honestly depends on your opinion as to whether the athletes potential to make the NFL team as a free agent out weighs the risk of getting cut and losing out on a CFL contract. Any athlete will have much more opportunity to grow in an NFL system, but there are so many risk factors involved. Quiet frankly, if one of my clients did not get drafted and they had a CFL team offering a contract I would have to urge them to take it. Make what money you can, not everyone is cut out for the Pros…

I’m not so sure about advising a running back to join the CFL if he could potentially make an NFL team, even a practise squad. As a Torontonian I catch a few games a year and the CFL is much more a passing game than a running game. It has helped guys like Moon, Flutie and Garcia showcase their talents and fine tune them. However, since you only get 3 downs and not 4, running backs not accustomed to the game can be in for somewhat of a suprise. There have been some great running backs in the CFL like Pringle and Clemons, but off the top of my head I can not think of many who have ended up going back to the NFL.

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