Author Archives: itlneil

Here’s something not to do

12 Thursday Jun 2014

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On Tuesday, we discussed the value of having a ‘champion,’ or someone of influence in football who’s willing to go bat for you, even though he gains nothing from it. There’s a corollary to that, and here it is: Don’t intentionally piss off someone who might even be the slightest bit of help to you.

Case in point. There’s a school not too far from me that I’ve reached out to in the past 12-18 months, volunteering my help any time they might need me, and offering to give a hungry intern a chance to earn class credit while having a little fun along the way. The professors I’ve worked with at this school have been absolutely first class in every way, and have exceeded expectations. One’s even become a pretty good friend, and at the very least, someone I respect. That’s why when he contacted me earlier this summer with a possible intern, I was pretty excited. My consulting service, Inside the League, is growing in traction and starting to outpace our fledgling staff, and I’m always looking for a young gun who could, in time, be a foundation member.

The young man contacted me via email and seemed nice enough, and genuine, but a little dubious about what ITL does, which is understandable; I often joke that not even my wife can explain what I do. I tried to be as explicit as I could and make it clear that we are still a growing service, far from a finished product, and occupying a niche in the industry. He continued to express hesitancy over the course of a week as we exchanged emails in short bursts: me, replying to one of his, then waiting a couple days to hear back, then him responding with questions, me emailing back immediately, then another lull. Again, understandable. I realize that I’m not getting swamped with potential interns, and this is an unpaid internship we’re talking about. And life happens, after all.

However, after a suitable period, I was ready to move forward or move on, so I emailed him again, trying to be welcoming and trying to convey an earnest interest in him without coming across as impatient. “Can’t remember where we left things but I wanted to see if you had made a decision, or if you still needed time, or were leaning against working with ITL. Any thoughts?,” I asked in a well-meaning but direct way.

About three hours later, I got my answer. He indicated that, “right now,” he was “leaning toward working with (my) company” (still not the decisiveness I was looking for, but fair enough). He asked a few questions about whether or not he could work from home (also very understandable), and if he could in fact go home for the summer (certainly within bounds), and then threw his, probably unintentional, haymaker.

Now, before I let on what this blow was, a few thoughts.

One, in a world brimming with ‘draft gurus,’ it’s really hard to understand what ITL is and isn’t, and what we are not is another draft prognostication service. We have a very small — very small — series in the summer that takes a preliminary look at draft projections for seniors at all FBS schools, but everyone understands that these projections are written in pencil, and with an eraser the size of a toddler’s fist.

Two, I think there’s a very good chance he didn’t mean to sound as dismissive and condescending as he sounded.

Three, email is an impossibly bad forum for discerning intent. All of these things I know.

Still, he closed his email with this: “I also had a few questions on where the information on the site is derived.  I couldn’t help but look at the projections for Craig Loston and notice that his projected round was the first yet he signed as an undrafted free agent.”

I probably should have explained that predicting the draft is impossibly hard to do a year out. That we don’t claim to be draft gurus in any case. That every year the two services that project seniors for subscribing NFL teams have a couple players they rate as first-rounders that wind up as undrafted free agents. I probably should have responded with all of this. But instead my response was this: “I appreciate your interest but I think we need to go in a different direction. Have a wonderful evening and best of luck in future endeavors.” For what it’s worth, when I close an email with “good luck in future endeavors,” it’s my literary equivalent of this.

Look, I know that on the universe’s list of most powerful people in the NFL, I don’t show up in the first, well, billion. And for what it’s worth, the young man immediately wrote me an email apologizing if he said anything offensive, and I’m sure he’s genuine. However, what I will say is that the football world is a small one, and if you’re aspiring to be part of it, make sure — make really sure — make really, really, REALLY sure — that you won’t be misinterpreted as smug, or all-knowing, or dismissive. It just doesn’t look good on anybody, and you never know what seemingly hapless opportunity might be your big break.

Be conscientious. Make sure that if you ever make one mistake, it’s not that you were not conscientious. Never, ever let someone even think you were too good for them. There are only so many times you’re going to get to go to bat in this game, so make sure every plate appearance, you’re at your best.

War Story Wednesday

11 Wednesday Jun 2014

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As we go forward with this blog, we hope to enlighten our readers weekly with a ‘war story’ or two that illustrates a theme we’ve been developing. Today, with the draft just completed, we’ll step away from our series on NFL scouting to discuss two stories related to the agent world that illustrate the uncertainty and unpredictable nature of the business.

One has a happy ending, and one less happy. First, the happy.

A first-year agent decided to aim high and recruit a player rated as a fourth- or fifth-round draft pick in the just-completed 2014 NFL draft. This agent decided to leverage a growing relationship with a top combine trainer to initiate contact with this top prospect, who seemed eager to communicate through the course of the fall. As the relationship with him grew, the new agent decided to improve chances by seeking to partner with a more seasoned firm. After initiating contact with several, there were a number of firms that expressed serious interest. Excited about the prospect of signing him, the agent heightened pursuit. Unfortunately, the player’s performance was disappointing this season, but his expectation level never slackened, and the agent began to realize that subsidizing training and providing living expenses would represent a sizable risk. However, the agent was willing to go ahead with the recruiting process, hoping to make a big first-year splash. Unfortunately, though the agent felt there was a close relationship, he opted for a bigger firm with a long client list and big reputation.

Ultimately, the story turned much sunnier for the agent. The player’s fortunes fell so far during the season that he was snubbed when combine invites went out, which was no small disappointment to the agents he had chosen. Furthermore, though he attended one of the top all-star games, his performance was lackluster. The coup de grace was an ordinary pro day performance that left his draft status floundering. Still, it didn’t stop his family from holding a major draft party at a local pizzeria. They invited dozens of friends, coaches, former teammates and family members to be part of their special weekend. Unfortunately, it all turned out quite awkwardly as the player went undrafted.

The agent wound up settling for a player who was grateful, less entitled, and ultimately far cheaper to represent. Like the big-name client the agent sought to sign, he’s also an undrafted free agent signee who’ll compete for a spot on a 53-man roster this summer, with about the same odds of making the team.

About 10 years ago, our second agent was a teacher in a high school in the Southeast. A conscientious sort who looked out for his students, many of whom came from underprivileged homes, he took an interest in one young student who was especially gifted on the gridiron. Speed was this young man’s forte.

The young teacher came to know the player’s family and he became an active mentor for the youth, so when it came time to weigh the college offers that came pouring in later in his prep years, the teacher was a key part of things. The teacher figured out how to compile and edit highlight films and put them on YouTube, while also imparting advice during challenging times with many suitors for the young athlete’s services. Ultimately, the player went away to school on a full scholarship, but the two kept in close contact. By then, the teacher was practically part of the family.

Flash forward four years, and the teacher, who had by then attained a position as an assistant principal, left the education profession and gained certification as a certified NFLPA contract advisor. This would be his chance to help the young man take the next step and live his NFL dreams, and the teacher would be a big part of things. When the player’s senior year became one of injury and unreached expectations, the teacher was still there, and signed the young man as his first client. He sent him to one of the best training facilities in the business to prepare for the combine, and helped with other expenses along the way, making a financial investment that was as significant as the personal investment he’d made in the young athlete.

Unfortunately, the player’s fortunes dimmed as his injury dogged him throughout February and March, and the relationship became more and more frosty. Never more than a late-round projection, he began to blame his longtime mentor because he wasn’t seeing his name among the lists of top-rated players. Slowly, the teacher began to realize there was no way he’d see a return on the five-figure training bill plus the added expenses he’d taken on over the past few months. At the same time, however, the player’s mother had turned belligerent and had taken to regular explosive phone calls to the teacher, blaming him for her son’s sagging draft status.

Ultimately, the draft came and went, and predictably, he went undrafted. The teacher worked hard vetting the various teams interested in him, but the player was reluctant and lacked enthusiasm. He signed with a team after the draft, but there was little joy between the agent or his client due to the stress of March, April and May. I spoke to the agent recently, and he told me that the player had fired him, blaming him for his fall in the draft. The agent, my friend, told me it was an  incredible load off his mind. But there was no joy in his words when he said it.

If you’re considering becoming agent some day soon or in the far off future, I tell these stories not to discourage you, but to give you a clearer picture of what happens in the business.

More stories next Wednesday.

 

Champions

10 Tuesday Jun 2014

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We’ll depart from our discussion of the life of an NFL scout by sharing a success story from a member of the ITL family.

Tyler Lyon is a former quarterback at the University of Arizona with a love for the game and strong roots in the gridiron (his father is the athletic director and former head coach at College of the Canyons in Valencia, Calif.). He wanted to make football his life and profession, so after completing his second year of law school, he decided to pursue a personnel internship with an NFL team.

Yesterday, Tyler emailed me, along with another associate who’d provided help and counsel, Chris Barry of Powerhouse GM, to tell us  he’d been hired to a paid summer internship with the Chargers. Naturally, Chris and I were overjoyed. My first question was, what will be your duties there?

“They said something about evaluating special teams guys,” Tyler said. “Nothing too crazy as far as the evaluation aspect and the opportunity to show what I can do. I’ll be breaking down film, giving guys rides, checking schedules and helping with the busy work they have to do.”

Tyler was kind enough to talk to me about how he made it happen, and there was one recurring theme. He said a major reason he’d made the cut was the support of one of his former coaches that he declined to name.

“The thing I’d tell anyone trying to do this, especially if they had a a college football background, would be to make sure you have a good relationship with (your coaches) because that’s the first person (NFL officials) are going to call. They called my offensive coordinator, and I had gotten injured at the end of my career, and he helped me stay on and help coach, and I think that’s one of the reasons (the Chargers) called was to learn more about me.”

In that respect, Tyler’s story is so common. In the NFL, as in life, you have to have a champion, a person who believes you and who is willing to help. For Lyon, it was his OC. For new Bucs GM Jason Licht, it was his former defensive coordinator at Nebraska, Charlie McBride.

Then there’s Jim Hess, a former Cowboys scout who’s been a bit of a champion for me in my own career. Here, he recounts the story of playing a role in ‘discovering’ Cowboys QB Tony Romo. In this clip, at the :57 mark, he discusses how, throughout his own career, he always had someone helping him get the jobs he earned.

Tyler had the good sense to build great relationships during his playing career, and it helped him beat the odds and get selected from a pile of applications that numbered in the 300s. Obviously, not everyone is talented enough to play college football, but one way or another, succeeding in football often pivots on finding that one person with a giving heart who believes in you.

You might find that champion after you volunteer at a football camp. You might find him after serving as manager of the local football team. It might be as a result of helping high school players find college scholarships. It’s true for people across the football industry, and probably across all professions.

If you’re aspiring to be an NFL scout some day, keep this in mind.

Perspectives on personnel jobs

09 Monday Jun 2014

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I just texted a friend of mine. He’s got about four decades of scouting under his belt, but despite having as much or more experience than virtually any personnel man out there, he’s been out of the NFL for about five years now. He’s hoping (and I’m hoping, because he’s been a great friend) to get the news this week that he’s been hired on with a new team.

Meanwhile, I have still another friend who’s got about the same level of experience, and who’s looking around. His prospects are few, and he’s getting concerned. What’s more, he knows that if something doesn’t happen in the next 2-3 weeks, it’s probably not going to happen, and he’s looking at selling insurance. I try to allay his fears, but knowing how hard it is to get a job, I don’t know what to say.

So what does this have to do with educating young people about working in the NFL? Sometimes it’s better to start at the end of the story to illustrate a point. Today let’s talk about scouting, and what you need to know if you’re hoping to be an NFL GM some day.

There is no specific pipeline into NFL scouting, despite programs that promise to enhance your chances. Typically, teams start looking for interns in the spring and summer, hoping to begin filling these unpaid positions by mid-summer. Who handles the process? It varies. I know a few years ago the 49ers’ GM was handling entreaties himself. Other teams have applicants go through their Directors of College Scouting, while others have everything sent directly to Human Resources. That’s one of the things that make applying to teams tricky; there’s a trial-and-error element just to find out where to send your resume.

Interns may start anywhere. There are probably a dozen NFL scouts who started out as training camp aides, telling fans to get behind the velvet rope or dragging water jugs around. Arizona’s John Mancini started out in tickets, then merchandise, before finally getting his chance in personnel. One way or another, you can expect to put in a year or two before you really get a chance to go out on the road and put a watch on someone.

The profile of a young person being hired into scouting departments today is probably an ex-college football player who’s 23-25 years old. Chances are he already lives in or has a background in the city of the team that hired him (we’ll discuss geography and its importance later). Typically, he was picked from 200-300 applicants.

Now for the discouraging part. He’s also almost surely got a connection to someone on the team. Not always, but very often. I remember a few years ago calling a scouting friend who’s actually now a GM. I wanted to learn more about the hiring process for young scouts, so I asked him, how does a kid get hired as a scouting assistant? He answered by asking, ‘Why, you got someone?’ That was the tone as I continued to ask other friends in the business. Most of the time, if you’re trying to get into the business, you need a ‘champion.’ That’s something else we’ll develop more later.

There’s one more aspect of the business to discuss that’s become a bit of a trend. The Patriots’ success over the past decade-plus has had a major impact on the way teams do things, and that includes scouting. Historically, teams hired seasoned ex-coaches as scouts, expecting them to not only gather 40 times and background info from their contacts but also to develop opinions about players. From there, they’d make recommendations. The Patriots, however, have always centralized their decision-making at the upper-management level in tandem with head coach Bill Belichick. They only want their scouts to gather facts, finite things with little wiggle room like heights, weights, whether a player has been suspended, how many kids he has, etc.

The Patriots count on their experts to have opinions. Other teams have seen this, and in many cases have adopted this philosophy. This is good news if you’re fresh out of college and hoping to become a scout. However, it’s driven down scouting salaries, devalued experience, and lowered expectations for people in personnel. It’s really ramped up turnover in scouting departments; we tracked more than 100 changes in scouting departments last year and almost 150 in 2012. It’s also made it way harder for scouts who came up before the Patriots’ Way to find a new job. That’s why I’m really hoping my friend lands back in the NFL today, and my other friend can beat the odds before he has to launch a late career in insurance.

Options

06 Friday Jun 2014

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When I tell people what I do, they usually think I’m one of two things. Either an agent or a scout. Of course, I’m neither, though even most of the people close to me have trouble explaining just what it is I do. But the point is, most laymen think of all football-related off-field jobs as fitting into one of these two categories.

I guess that’s fair enough. Ever since the movie ‘Jerry Maguire’ came out in 1996, the job of football agent has become almost mythical. Every year, people register to take the agent exam in January, then travel to Washington, D.C., at the end of July to take it, and all the while know very little about the business except that they want to be part of it. I’ve talked to people who are bartenders; who don’t even live in the United States; and who want to use the business as a means to managing pro wrestlers. The expenses of being an agent, the difficulty of contacting young athletes, the hoops that schools make you jump through to sign these young men are all alien to them. Still, they have a singular focus, one that perhaps you share. It’s hard to question their passion, of course, but I wonder if they’ve done the proper research.

Then there’s scouting. Most people think of NFL scouting as fantasy football on the atomic level. Many football enthusiasts see scouts as part king-maker, part guru. These men are paid to watch and talk about football, and hold the deepest, darkest secrets of the young men who fascinate the American public on Saturdays and Sundays in the fall. I used to subscribe to this belief, too, before I began to understand all the nuances of the game, and where scouts fit into the puzzle. We’ll go into depth on both the agent and scouting fields as we go forward.

However, there are other paths into the game that are worth pursuing. The business of combine preparation has seen major growth in the last decade, and there are new facilities diving into combine prep almost every day. Very often these jobs can be parlayed into positions with major schools. High school coaching may not have the glamor of negotiating contracts or making picks on draft day, but it’s not an uncommon first step for those interested in scouting. What’s more, good coaches in Texas at the Class 5A and 6A level can make $100,000/year. If you’re more of an entrepreneurial sort, you can launch your own website. That’s one more possible path to NFL scouting (or, if you’re open to working in other leagues, even CFL scouting for Russ Lande and John Murphy). The key is to have a strategy, work a plan, and set goals.

Speaking of goals, our goal in launching this blog is to help you find your path to the football profession. We’ll start by going into greater depth on the ‘glamor’ fields of football, the agent business and the job of being a scout for an NFL team. We’ll talk about the sacrifices that must be made and the odds you’ll face, as well as the rewards at the end of the rainbow for those who succeed. We’ll also develop the other professions that have gained traction as cottage industries, talking to people who’ve had success with it. We’ve been blessed to build relationships with people of all stripes who’ve ‘made it’ in football, and we’re eager to pass along what we’ve learned, as well as what they’ve learned.

We’re happy you’ve joined us, and we hope you’ll tell a friend who’s also interested in succeeding in football about us. Happy weekend. See you Monday.

 

 

Kicking off

05 Thursday Jun 2014

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Well, where should I begin? I guess I’ll just dive right in.

If you’re here, you probably follow me on Twitter, or have met me at an all-star game, or have heard I’m some guy that talks about how to get a job in football. You may be an aspiring NFL agent or scout. You may have received one of our newsletters series specifically for NFL financial advisors, NFL contract advisors, parents of prospective NFL players or combine prep trainers. You might also know me from my work with Champions Search Firm, which helps schools fill vacancies on their athletic staffs, especially in Texas. If you’re any of these people, welcome.

If you’re not any of them but you’ve found this page, welcome just the same. As you may or may not know, Inside the League, my regular site, is widely read by people in the business of football, college and pro. Here’s a brief bio. We’ve been blessed to work with the contract advisors for about two-thirds of players in the NFL plus most of the major financial firms and top combine prep facilities. We don’t do mock drafts, or player rankings, or rants, or stats. Just straight talk and info for people in the business. However, until now, I didn’t really have a platform for speaking to those who don’t need the directed, somewhat nuanced information we provide at ITL. Many folks, young and old, are serious about being a sports management professional but don’t quite know where to get started. Well, we want to help.

We’ve started to offer hands-on aid to people who are trying to get a leg up on the industry, and we’ll share what we’ve learned here. We’ll also share words of wisdom and experience from people who are already living their football dreams. That might take the form of interviews, or YouTube videos, or whatever. The main thing is, we are excited about people who are excited about making football their profession, and we want to help.

Rather than droning on and on, I’ll close for now. But I’ll be back. If you have any ideas on topics, or want to talk further about the industry, or anything else, you can reach me here.

Thanks for joining me on this ride, wherever it takes us. It’s gonna be fun. I can hardly wait for tomorrow.