Agents/Trainers/Misc. – Page 2 – Welcome to Steelers Takeaways!

Mary Agee, Board Appointee, NFL Player Care Foundation

Mary Agee:

{PCF is an independent charity organization whose sole mission is to help retired players improve their quality of life. The PCF is governed by a Board of Directors with representation from the NFL, the NFL Players Association, the Hall of Fame and the NFL Alumni Association.}

First, can you let readers know about the NFL Player Care Foundation – what it does for players and how players are made aware of the services you offer?

The Player Care Foundation assists medically and financially distressed former NFL players by providing them financial grants and access to free or affordable medical assistance. It also grants money for research that benefits retired players.

Where does the Foundation get the monies and how does it decide how to use them?

Principally from the NFL and some fund-raised dollars.

How did you get involved in the foundation and what is your current role?

The other Board members were from the football world. The only other non-football Board member is Ken Scherer, the CEO of the Motion Picture and Television Fund. I was brought on to add knowledge and experience regarding social work services, as it was quickly becoming evident that this perspective would add value.

What are the types of issues players come to the foundation for most when they leave the game, and how do you first work with them?

The issues are as varied as in the general public. It can be foreclosure issues, issues around medical help and care. Many retired players are unaware of what resources they are entitled to as former players, so the Foundation helps educate them to know what resources are available in a confidential, respectful atmosphere.

Many of the problems these players face are as much emotional/psychological as they are physical. What programs exist for such issues?

The Foundation does not directly provide emotional/psychological care, but can pay for and help locate those services. In addition, the NFL has neurological care programs, joint replacement programs, the 88 Plan program – all designed to address the physical and mental health of former players.

How do you get out in front of players before they leave the game to help them prepare for life after football financially and socially?

There are a number of programs in place starting with the Rookie Symposium when they first enter the game and throughout their career.

How does the foundation determine who to help and how? What are the parameters it uses for these determinations?

A player must have two credited seasons and be financially challenged. We review the application, determine eligibility and then discuss how best to help.

In speaking to a number of former players, many feel that the benefits have improved for players suffering from NFL-related injuries/issues over the years, but that those improvements could be built upon even further. What changes would you like to see to the NFL’s programs and strategy that assist these players?

The Foundation has used the information from our work with individuals to identify ways to strengthen NFL programs.

One example is the Career Transition Program, which is a program for recently retired players to help them transition and adjust to leaving the NFL. This is a three day program held in an academic setting that provides former players with information, tools and strategies on what to expect during this transition and how to cope and succeed.

How involved are the current and retired players in the establishment and implementation of these programs, and how so?

The Foundation is only available for retired players. So far we have assisted over 375 players and their families and have granted over 3.75 million dollars in grants. We also have given $2.5 million in research.

The players are very involved. Several former players are on the Board; others help to promote information about the Foundation; and both the Players’ Union and alumni association collaborate on projects and outreach.

The NFL takes some criticism at times for what some feel is a lack of support for some of the older retired players, especially in regards to the size of the pensions they receive versus what baseball players make. Do you feel the criticism is justified? What factors are missed if any by those critics?

I am not qualified to answer this. All I can say is that the Player Care Foundation helps irrespective of age or years played.

What would surprise fans (and perhaps players) most about the NFL Player Care Foundation and it’s work with players?

I think the fact that we are a non-partisan, confidential charity that helps players not based on the years of service or the quality of their play – but on their needs. The NFL truly does care about all players who contributed to the success of the game.

What do you feel are some of your greatest successes of the foundation – what are you most proud of in terms of the foundation’s work with retired players?

I think it is looking to go beyond providing the direct assistance – such as seeing the need for help with transitioning out of the NFL – and then developing a program that is beginning to reach many of the newly retiring players.

John Jackson, Steelers Offensive Lineman, 1988-1997

First, can you tell readers about your work with KMG Sports Management – what your role there is and how you got started there?

I got started three months after I retired – really two years after I was done playing. My capacity right now is as a consultant but I’m getting out of that part of it. It’s a lot of babysitting. It’s hard to say, but that’s what it is.

I like the mentoring of the players. Some of the guys, well, it’s just getting harder. The trust factor between agents and players isn’t what it used to be when I played. Your word was your bond then but it’s changed. Now, everyone is out to top everyone and promise more and more. Guys forget what it takes to get there and now each just uses the other.

I will be focusing more on helping with recruiting and position training for offensive linemen. That gives me more free time to explore getting into sales. People think I’m crazy but I’d like to get into sales – I enjoy talking with people.

Continue reading “John Jackson, Steelers Offensive Lineman, 1988-1997”

Jay Reisinger, Sports Attorney

Jay Reisinger, Sports Attorney:

First, can you let readers know how you and your firm got involved in sports law – was this an intended focus for you all along?

Since I was a student at Allegheny College, the field of sports law had interested me. After my first year in law school, I was fortunate enough to land an internship with Sam Reich (brother of famed sports agent Tom Reich). Sam handled a number of sports-related matters for Tom and his clients.

After law school, I joined Sam’s firm full-time, and handled a number of sports-related cases, from high school eligibility matters to MLB salary arbitration. I eventually moved to my own firm in 2008, where my focus is almost entirely sports-related.

You’ve handled a number of large cases, including working with Sammy Sosa, Alex Rodriguez and Andy Pettitte and their legal issues concerning performance-enhancing drugs and hormones. Which of your case(s) have you been most proud of, and why?

I am proud of all of them, because I feel we served each of them well with respect to their individual matters. However, I am most proud of the work that we did for Andy Pettitte. We were able to extract him from the circus-like atmosphere that surrounded the Roger Clemens matter and put him on his own path, which certainly inured to his benefit.

How do you deal with the immense media presence around these cases – how do you prevent them from being distractions?

It is our general policy and practice to refrain from making public comment in on-going legal matters. We have found that, in general, it does not serve a client’s legal interests to speak with the media.

There is a balance between an athlete’s public persona and his legal interests, and we attempt to strike that balance, however, an athlete’s legal interests always take precedence, and most often, public comment does not serve those legal interests.

How has being in Pittsburgh helped your practice?

Initially, I was mentored by two of the finest sports lawyers in the business, Sam and Tom Reich, who are both Pittsburgh natives.

Pittsburgh also has a significant number of nationally known sports attorneys, and my interaction with them has played a large role in growing my practice. On a personal note, my entire family lives in Pittsburgh and I enjoy a great deal of family support in my professional endeavors.

A good deal of your work is as an attorney in salary arbitration – including representing Pirates players. How do you prepare for these hearings- what data do you use and how heated can these hearings get?

Salary arbitration hearings for MLB players take place in February each year. I usually begin preparing my cases in September, and then continually revise my analysis in the following months. On behalf of players, we utilize a proprietary statistical program that allows us to compare even the most obscure statistics in an effort to determine a player’s proper place in the salary structure.

The negotiations leading up to a hearing can often get quite heated as each side gets entrenched in their respective positions. The hearings themselves can also get quite heated, but are always professional.

How do you avoid these negotiations getting so personal that they permanently taint the player-organization relationship – and how have you found the Pirates to be in these negotiations compared to other teams – I know you had some good battles with Pirates Counsel Larry Silverman in the past.

I have never been involved in negotiations or a hearing where it became so personal that it permanently tainted the player/organization relationship. As a player representative, you have to check your ego at the door, and act in the best interest of the player, and part of that process is to maintain the player/organization relationship.

A player’s representative has to be that buffer between the player and the organization, and take the heat for the player, and conversely, apply pressure on the organization from the player’s perspective in such a way that it comes from the representative, not the player.

I have always found the Pirates to be extremely professional in these situations. I have always had great battles with Larry Silverman (also a Pittsburgh native), they were always spirited, but professional. In almost every instance, both Larry and I left the bargaining table a little disappointed with the result, which really is the hallmark of a good deal for both sides.

Any thoughts on the issue of concussions with players in the NFL and NHL? There are a couple of lawsuits now against the NFL and the NHL could be prone to the same. What is your take on the whole concussion issue?

The concussion issue has been ignored in professional sports for far too long. Leagues and the players unions need to do a better job in evaluating the problem and creating solutions, to the extent they can be created. At the end of the day, there are always going to be concussions in professional sports (especially in the NHL and NFL), it is a risk that players assume. However, the treatment of concussions falls to the teams and their medical staffs, and that treatment needs to evolve as more research is conducted.

I also have a personal interest in the concussion issue. I have a son who plays Mite hockey and a daughter who plays travel soccer. Concussions are increasing at the youth sports level (most likely a result of increased awareness and diagnosis), and as a father, I am paying close attention to concussion issues in youth sports. I am hopeful that with increased awareness and research, concussions in youth sports can be reduced and the treatment of concussions will continue to progress.

What Pittsburgh athletes have you represented in non-arbitration type cases? Any interesting (and repeatable) stories from these?

I have represented a number of Pittsburgh-based athletes in both civil and criminal matters. Unfortunately, the attorney/client privilege prevents me from commenting, but needless to say, it’s always been an adventure!

What would surprise readers most about your work?

I think my clients would surprise readers. Many people have a misconception that professional athletes are, in the main, arrogant and selfish. I have found it quite the contrary.

In most of my dealings with professional athletes, I have found them to be considerate and appreciative. Many of them are different in person than they are on the field.

You write consistently for the Sports Agent Blog as well (//www.sportsagentblog.com/tag/jay-reisinger/) – what issues do you find yourself discussing most with your peers now and what are the biggest concerns behind those issues?

I often blog about labor issues in sports. I believe that the leagues, in the main, have taken the upper hand in labor negotiations (especially in the NFL and NBA), and it is detrimental to players and players’ rights.

For example, the personal conduct policy in the NFL is a sham. Without the ability to appeal league discipline to a neutral third-party arbitrator, the players are at the mercy of the Commissioner. It’s these types of issues that concern (and interest) me. I also have a personal blog in which I discuss sports issues (//www.jayreisinger.blogspot.com/).

Hank Poteat, Steelers Cornerback, 2000-2002

First, can you let readers know what you are doing with yourself since the NFL?

I did some personal training last Summer for some guys wanting to get better at the game. But I’m doing two things now. I’m doing football camps with Football University. We do camps all around the country for kids wanting to improve. We have a number of present and former NFL coaches and players who work with us. It’s a great way for them to network, share experiences and life after football and memories of their playing time. It’s also a great way for us to help these the athletes fulfill their dreams. We run the camps from February through July – state-to-state.

I’m also coaching at Kentucky Christian University.

Continue reading “Hank Poteat, Steelers Cornerback, 2000-2002”

Dewayne Washington, Steelers Cornerback, 1998-2003

First, can you tell readers about your work at the Carolina Skills Academy?

{Former Steeler} Charles Johnson and I started the academy to fill the gaps in fundamentals we saw in a lot of athletes here. You can have the talent but without the fundamentals – the techniques – you can’t let that talent shine. The academy helps kids fill that gap. Those fundamentals were the biggest things that got us where we are in the pros.

They sign up for two months at a time, two-to-three times per week and an hour each time. We drill them on fundamentals for middle school, high school and college players trying to make the NFL.

Continue reading “Dewayne Washington, Steelers Cornerback, 1998-2003”

David Trout, Steelers Kicker, 1981, 1987

First, can you tell readers what you have been doing with yourself after football?

After I was with the Cowboy’s I was working out with getting ready to go back to camp with the Kansas City Chiefs and prayed if God had a different direction for me with my life. The next night I kicked off and the tee rolled out in front of my follow through and I broke my ankle and decided to go into missions.

Carl Peterson offered to put me on IR but I decided to follow a different path. I then worked on missionaries homes in Florida and then went into Youth Ministry where I was a Youth Pastor at St. Johns church in Turnersville NJ. I then went to Piedmont Bible College In North Carolina where I received my Airframe and Power plant license to build and fly aircraft in 1994 to 1995.

Continue reading “David Trout, Steelers Kicker, 1981, 1987”

Leslie Bonci, Steelers Dietitian

First what drove you to become a dietitian and what advice would you give those who would like to follow in your footsteps?

I started out as a biopsychology major, got a master’s in Public health with a nutrition emphasis and decided that to stay well and live well, eating plays a critical role.

My first job had co-directors who were marathoners so to keep up, I needed to be active, so then not only does nutrition have a role in staying well, but also playing well, and I believe in the philosophy of SHOP- Safeguard Health Optimize Performance.

Continue reading “Leslie Bonci, Steelers Dietitian”

Ben Alamar, Sports Statistics Consultant/Creator of ESPN’s New Quarterback Rating

First, can you tell readers a bit about yourself – how you got into sports statistics and sports management?

I got into sports statistics by accident. I was doing economic policy analysis around tobacco control issues at UCSF when I answered an ad for a part time consultant at a startup company call Protrade Sports (later Citizen Sports that was acquired by Yahoo!). They were a fantasy sports company that was looking to do advanced statistical analysis to create better scoring systems.

While there I met Roland Beech (currently with the Dallas Mavericks) and Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders and learned about the budding field of sports statistics. From there I created the Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports and have worked with teams and other startups as well.

Continue reading “Ben Alamar, Sports Statistics Consultant/Creator of ESPN’s New Quarterback Rating”

Dan Vitchoff, Hypnotist That Works with Steelers, Olympians

First, how did you get started doing hypnosis?

I had an undiagnosed learning disorder growing up – ADD. I loved playing sports but hated school. My father was heavily invested in me going to college and graduating. It was an issue between us. When he suffered his second heart attack I went back and worked in a memory program at school with a Bulgarian professor and jumped in with both feet ever since.

Continue reading “Dan Vitchoff, Hypnotist That Works with Steelers, Olympians”

Andre Hastings, Steelers Wide Receiver, 1993-2000

First, can you let readers know about your training work with Makeplays – what you are doing, how you got started and where you want to go from here?

I started out there as a player – me, McNabb, Charles Johnson and other guys trained there together, When I retired I’d still go work out there and talked to those guys a lot. I’d give other guys pointers and they saw I knew what I was doing. That I knew what it took to make it – I knew the real life picture of the NFL.

So I started working there. I love being able to give back – to help guys prepare and get the opportunity to play in the NFL like I had – to be succesfull and realize their dreams.

Continue reading “Andre Hastings, Steelers Wide Receiver, 1993-2000”