Starting with your book – tell us why you wrote it and what it focuses on?
I wrote The Fight first as a coping mechanism for myself. That’s how it started. My father had cancer and I was in law school at night and working as an agent. I had no outlet for how I felt – I kept it bottled up. So at the hospital I started writing down my thoughts on my phone – in notepad.
The biggest thing I focus on is how I could use what I was going through to help others. How I could start handling the process of transforming what my father was going through to help others deal with issues. A lot of it is focused on perspective – shifting perspective so that it’s not “Why me?” – instead saying “Why not me? How can I utilize this experience to help someone else.”
What about being an agent intrigued you and how did you get your start?
Thankfully it was God’s plan – not my plan at first. I didn’t know this was even a career path. I went to law school looking to become a criminal defense attorney so I could move back to Pittsburgh and help some of my friends who had been wrongfully imprisoned. I learned along the way that this was a real career and one that enabled me to make a difference in people’s lives as well.
Agents get bad raps. I wanted to change the narrative and the industry. It was another outlet to help others – to mentor people. It’s not just about negotiating contracts.
How do you go about changing that narrative others have about the industry?
By always being available. Helping clients on a personal level. Most don’t realize it but most of our time isn’t spent negotiating deals for clients. Most clients are on multi-year deals – we’re not negotiating every day. It could be years between contracts. It has to be bigger than that. It’s about personal relationships and being there for them. I had a client – Bravvion Roy who plays for the Panthers – he asked me to help write his marriage proposal for him and to be there when he asked his now wife to marry him.
A lot of what I do is working on that relationship aspect. Following up with them. Going to practices and games to support them and talking to the staff to help get a gauge for how they are doing. That’s when coaches and staff are more willing to talk to you anyway – when their guard is down because you’re not in the middle of contract talks.
Any Pittsburgh influences in your work?
It’s such a blue collar town – I learned what hard work was at an early age. People struggle and they aren’t afraid to show it. In Miami everything is flashy. My father was a factory worker and my grandfather and uncle worked in the mills. I learned the value of a dollar.
I grew up in the Mon Valley – I hate to say it but a lot of people there were underprivileged. I had a lot of friends in school who are no longer with us now or who are in prison. You see some different aspects of life. You learn about those things and what people are going through.
When I went to Washington & Jefferson College, I learned some of my biggest values. I met people from all walks of life – some with a lot of money. I learned there was a bigger world out there and why it was so crucial to go experience different things.
You’ve been an agent now for a number of years – what has changed most in your work that you have seen?
Well some things changed with Covid. No one could plan for those things. Whether you were new or in the business for 40 years, everyone was in the same boat. The rules for the practice squad, how you can communicate, testing – a lot of things changed. We were all so used to face-to-face communication and then we couldn’t go to pro days, practices and games, the combine… it made things more difficult.
And of course with the NIL rule change, it really makes it necessary to form relationships earlier with the players.
As a marketer, how do you help players divine the line between branding/self-promotion and going “too far”?
At the end of the day it’s about balance. Every person is different – some never post on social media and some post every day. First and foremost it’s about balance and about what’s in their best interests. I tell clients that, before they post something, type it up and sit on it a while.
Some posts are also sponsor-driven and many fans may not realize that. So those might be set up ahead of time.
What are some of the key things you look for when negotiating player contracts?
First thing is getting my guys paid – to get them the most money I can so they and their families are set up for the future. As much of that as possible guaranteed.
I want to the clubs to feel like they won too though. But my obligation is to my client not the club. There aren’t any crazy things otherwise I negotiate on. Sometimes we’ll work harder on the accredited seasons language.
How do the Steelers differ from other teams in the negotiating process – how do they approach negotiating/working with players and agents in general?
They aren’t too different. From an organizational standpoint they are one of the best in the NFL. It’s always more special, being a guy from Pittsburgh. Seeing the logo – it’s special to me. It reminds me of my father.
But they are fair across the board. One thing I can say is that they predict things very well. They do their research. What they think will happen with players usually does.
Any concerns or thoughts on Kevin Colbert leaving?
I love Kevin and Omar – they are great guys. But they have a great structure there. It’s a very intelligent organization so I’m not worried about Kevin leaving. He’s an amazing guy – I’m excited for the next chapter of his life.
Advice for those wanting to get started in the industry?
Be everywhere. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. It’s not about who you know – it’s about who knows you. About who will vouch for you when they get that phone call.
I have a course on my site now – “Breaking into Sports”. I tell people in the course the same thing – don’t be afraid to try. The worst thing that can happen is someone says “No.” Then you’re just in the same position you started off at.
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
