Man, it’s been a busy week, and there was a lot we didn’t have time to get into our Rep Rumblings (or give proper attention to). Here’s a look at some of this week’s developments in the business of college and pro football.

  • You don’t often see agents change firms after Halloween, but Evan Brennan has, moving from UA Sports to JL Sports. His arrival gives JL 10 NFLPA-certified contract advisors. Agency owner Joe Linta, who was 18th among all agents with 31 active NFL clients on our last count, gets a hard-working presence in the Northwest who continually turns up Day 3/UDFA types that beat the odds. Per NFLPA rolls, Brennan, who was certified in 2013, had 11 active clients as of this month.
  • Also getting a new address is Arlington, Va.-based Chitta Mallik, who’s taking his 16 years of experience to Jordan Sports Group, headed by newly certified contract advisor Miles Jordan. Jordan has already built a thriving NIL presence, and Mallik arrives to give his firm a veteran league presence. We’re told Mallik isn’t the only agent arriving from Dreampoint Sports; also advising Jordan Sports Group will be Tony Paige, who co-founded Dreampoint. Paige, a nine-year NFL playing veteran, has been in NFL player representation since 1994. Mallik and Paige were also previously with Vanguard Sports Group.
  • In an era where the costs of player representation are going up and up, it’s become commonplace for smaller agencies to develop affiliations. Some of them are highly informal, but others involve LLCs, contracts and specialized language. It’s a little more trouble, but sometimes it pays off, as it did for Premier Athlete Advisors LLC, which recently won a legal victory over its previous partner firm, Enter-Sports MGT LLC. Though the NFLPA continually pushes licensed contract advisors to settle their difference through its grievance process, time and again, agents complain that their rulings don’t resolve things. The people at Premier set up their venture with Enter-Sports as an agreement between LLCs, taking things outside the bounds of the Players Association. Enter-Sports is now on the hook for almost $38,000, per the story.
  • We try to interview a former NFL scout each week as part of our Catching Up feature in the Friday Wrap, and this week, it’s former Broncos, Chiefs and Vikings scout Roger Jackson (he also had a five-year playing career). Most scouts who retire from the job ride off into the sunset, playing golf and chasing grandkids. Not Roger, who instead saw a need for helping underprivileged kids in his hometown of Macon, Ga. He founded the Motivating Youth Foundation 18 years ago, and it’s made a difference in countless lives. To keep it going, instead of enjoying retirement, he knocks on doors. “I can raise money,” he said with a laugh this week. “I beg. And I’ll come back next week. ‘Thought you might have changed your mind.’ Until they say, ‘we gotta give this joker something, or he’s gonna come back next week,’ and I sure am.” Make sure to check out our interview with Roger in tomorrow’s Friday Wrap.
  • Our November Zoom session for ITL clients was Wednesday, and in it, we highlighted the density of all-star competition from Jan. 4-11. In the first week-and-a-half of the year, NFL teams will be tasked with covering the FCS Showcase in Nashville (Jan. 4-5); the Hula Bowl in Central Florida (Jan. 5-10); the Fiesta Bowl (Jan. 8) and Peach Bowl (Jan. 9) as part of the College Football Playoffs; and the College Gridiron Showcase and Dream Bowl, both in the Metroplex Jan. 9-11. It’s a dilemma for scouting staffs, and we discussed how teams are planning on covering things (or not covering them) in Tuesday’s post.

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