Category Archives: Getting started

NFL Scouting: Balancing the Journey and the Destination

26 Friday May 2023

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This week, the mother of a young man I used to coach several years ago reached out, hoping I could help put his film in the hands of a few college personnel friends. I was happy to do it. However, when I texted his Hudl link to a half-dozen of my contacts in personnel departments across the country, it reinforced the volatility of the game.

One friend called me back promptly, indicating that he’d moved into a Chief of Staff position at a mid-major school. Having reached his 50s, he was not ashamed to tell me his zeal for chasing a job in NFL scouting was waning. Keep in mind that my friend had served at number P5 schools and even interned in the NFL, but had never quite gotten over the hump. His wife had a good job, so he wanted to be very smart about the jobs he pursued, and the lengths he could (or would) go to pursue his dreams.

Another reached out to tell me he’d moved into one of the top NIL-related companies in the game. This caught me off guard; he had been as locked-in and highly regarded as anyone in the industry, and having known him for years, I just knew he’d land in the NFL promptly. He was cordial and kind, but obviously, helping the young man find a school would not be possible.

Two more of my friends were still in the fight, still chasing their goals, though I sensed their focus was more on college success than pursuit of the NFL. Neither of them asked about possible league opportunities. They just complimented the young man’s film and gave tips on next steps.

Then, around mid-week, I was contacted by another recruiting specialist who had had stops at a number of P5 programs. Having reached his 30s and married, he was coming to the conclusion that the NFL would probably not be his final destination. He was looking for answers, and maybe wondering if he’d gone too far to turn back.

Each of them provided a sharp contrast to the dozens of young men I encounter this time of year, when talented young personnel specialists are looking for every lead on an interview with a pro team. It got me thinking, what words of wisdom could I provide to people desperate to work in NFL player evaluation? How could I encourage them without selling them on an unattainable dream? This is what I came up with.

  • You have to have the most up-to-date info on openings at all time. Follow every social media source that covers NFL hiring and firing. Also, if you’re serious about this, subscribe to ITL, as well. No one covers the construction of NFL scouting staffs like we do. 
  • Recognize that getting an NFL job is dependent almost solely on your network. Who you know is maybe as important in landing an NFL post as in any other industry. I respect people that want to be excellent at their jobs, but you better be excellent at networking, too. That’s probably the regret I hear most often from friends in scouting and coaching who are trying to get back in.
  • NFL teams most often hire people in their 20s who don’t have a lot of strings attached. For this reason, give yourself till the age of 30 to pursue the NFL. If it doesn’t happen, don’t postpone key relationships or family plans. Instead, shift your sights to success on the college level.
  • Understand that football has moved from the “sports” domain to the entertainment world. That means the people attracted to it are sometimes less driven by love of the game, competition, and the idea of “team,” and more driven by naked personal ambition. It also means the people around you — the fans, the players, their parents, the head coaches, the assistant coaches, and the administrators — are more likely to take a “win at all costs” approach than previous generations might have. In all honesty, they are less prone to think of you as a human being. Forgive them, but accept this.
  • This is the most important point. Long before I launched ITL, I thought that only the most talented, smartest, hardest-working people made it into the league. No disrespect to the people in the league, but that’s not at all the case. It’s mostly about contacts and luck just to get that opportunity. Then, once you do get it, that’s when the intelligence and work ethic and everything else come in. Bottom line, if you never make it to the league, you’re not a failure. The ball just didn’t bounce your way.

If you’ve made it this far, I hope you are encouraged. On the other hand, maybe you’re discouraged, or maybe you completely reject my thoughts. Any result is understandable. However, I hope you trust that I’m just a guy who’s seen lots of capable people travel this road, and my thoughts come from what I’ve seen of those few who made it where they wanted to and the many, many who did not. 

 

Our Next New Agent Zoom on the Pre-Draft Process: What’s Ahead

07 Friday Apr 2023

Posted by in Agents, Getting started, NFL draft

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Monday night, I’ll gather with dozens of members of the 2022 NFLPA contract advisor class to discuss the critical next three weeks leading up to this spring’s draft. These sessions are always a lot of fun and, I hope, informative. The questions that get asked are always relevant to every participant. What’s more, we don’t record these sessions, so we get really honest, really candid questions, and I try to respond with similar answers.

This month’s session will be special because we’ll be joined by a special guest. Here are a few topics we’ll be covering and what’s ahead at 9 p.m. ET Monday night.

  • How do I promote my client in the next three weeks? Obviously, this is a popular question, and the answer depends on many particulars. 
  • How do I know if my client is a candidate for the draft? UDFA? How do I know if he’s not really under consideration? Most rookie agents don’t represent players who are locks to be drafted, so we’ll talk about the differing degrees of interest.
  • How do I choose which offer to take in undrafted free agency? This is where having former Titans scouting executive Blake Beddingfield as part of our staff comes in handy. Blake will give his thoughts on how to weigh offers from teams, and what their offers really mean.
  • Which teams are best at developing talent? This will be another key point that Blake will address. Knowing which teams can do more with late-round talent, and which ones are more patient than others, is key information.
  • What does Day 3 really look like? What does undrafted free agency look like? It’s a critical topic for a first-year agent, and we’ll set the scene.
  • My client had a good March and seems to be on the rise. How do I prepare him (and those around him) for worst-case scenarios? This is always a tricky topic. We’ll have tips.
  • Is there a point where it’s clear my client won’t get a camp opportunity? The post-draft singing process could last 2-3 days at times. It’s important to know who to contact (and not to contact) if you’re trying to round up opportunities.
  • What’s the difference between a UDFA signing and being invited to rookie mini-camp? This is another important distinction that we’ll discuss.

If you’re an ITL client, and you’re a first-year contract advisor, we’ll be sending out the Zoom link Monday afternoon. We hope you’ll make time to sit in and learn. However, if you’re not yet an ITL client, and think there is something to gain by joining us, we’d love to have you. All you have to do is sign up for ITL and you’re in business. 

We hope to see you Monday night at 9 p.m. ET. However, if you’re looking to learn more about the business, but you’re short on cash, you can sign up for our free newsletter, the Friday Wrap. Do that here.

Ask the Scout: Takeaways from our Rookie Agent Zoom

15 Wednesday Mar 2023

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Tuesday night, dozens of our clients who are in their first year as certified contract advisors assembled for our monthly Zoom session. This time, we were joined by Bob Morris, GM of the USFL’s Houston Gamblers. Here are a few takeaways.

  • I take no joy in saying this, but it’s incredibly hard to get a small-school player into a big-school pro day, and I’d say it’s gotten harder each year over the past decade. It’s gone from “maybe we’ll let you into our pro day if your school is in our state” to “we’re gonna need at least one scout who’s attending the pro day to call and vouch for the player” to “we’re gonna need two scouts to vouch” to “we’re full.” Almost exactly a third of players signed by agents so far are from sub-FBS schools. That’s a lot of players who may not get a chance to work out for scouts.
  • If you do get a player into a pro day, there’s no guarantee he’ll get to do the entire workout. Most schools use the 40 as a weed-out drill. A slow 40 might mean game over for the entire workout.
  • There’s a perception that the USFL (and to some degree, the XFL) are easy backup plans for players who go undrafted. However, Bob made it clear that he’s looking for NFL-caliber players and not just any player who’s every put on pads before. Also, the USFL can’t take players who weren’t in the draft pool until after Week 3 of the season (around the end of April). If there are any positives, it’s that the player doesn’t have to undergo a physical or a tryout to become part of the player pool in May. The player just needs a USFL GM to ask the league’s personnel director, John Peterson, to add him to the pool. That way, all eight teams have a crack at him.
  • In the USFL, players who are brought in for a tryout are responsible for their own travel and lodging. Hey, it’s a new league. They’re trying to be smart about spending money.
  • Bob said he uses all-star appearances as a good indication of whether or not a player has even minimal appeal to an NFL team. He said he wouldn’t even consider recommending a player for a pro day if he didn’t at least participate in an all-star game.
  • There are about 1,400 players signed to standard representation agreements this year. The size of the class should be down this year. Given how many Day 3 types went back to school with tidy NIL deals, the depth in the class isn’t great. That’s good news for first-year agents whose clients are more fringe.

Next month, we’ll have our final Rookie Agent Zoom, and it’s a key session. We’ll talk about draft weekend, how to gauge interest in your client, what to do if your client goes undrafted, how to spark interest and may other topics. Especially if you’re a new agent, I hope you can join us. Sign up for ITL here, or sign up for our free newsletter here.

 

How Do You Build Friendships with NFL Scouts?

24 Friday Feb 2023

Posted by in Getting started, Scouts

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This is a question I get all the time. With dozens (hundreds?) of aspiring evaluators ready to descend on Indianapolis next week, I thought delve further into this topic, though I’ve addressed it in this space previously and on social media. I don’t have the answers, but here are a few things to remember that might be helpful.

Desperation is off-putting: If you give yourself an ultimatum about getting a job while at the Combine (or anywhere else), that sense of urgency is going to be written all over you. It tends to come across in a negative way.

It’s about more than football: If you can find a common bond with a scout, your chances of building a relationship are infinitely greater. Ask about a scout’s family, his alma mater, or where he’s from, and you’re far more likely to have a lasting friendship.

Play the long game: In the early days of ITL, I was pretty desperate to befriend scouts, too. Two decades later, I have friends on all 32 teams. It just takes time. Obviously, you may not have two decades to pursue this, but the sooner you get out there and start making friends, the sooner that “long time” gets a lot shorter.

Understand that there’s an element of luck: When I was a kid, I thought people who worked in the NFL got there because they were way smarter and harder-working than I am. These days, I don’t think that’s true. In most cases, they got a break, then took advantage of it. Not everyone gets that break. You just have to accept that.

Know when to go solo: You may travel to Indy with others who are seeking a job in scouting, and I recommend this. At the same time, you need to realize that you’re competing with your friends, as well. It’s rare that a team hires several people that know each other. Be a good guy, but you’re going to have to put your own goals first.

Develop your instincts, then trust them: This is an inexact science. At some point, you will have to use your best judgement. Don’t be afraid to trust your gut.

Take risks: At some point, doing the safe thing will not be the way. In fact, the best way may go directly contrary to one of the points I’ve made in this post. That’s life. It’s not always predictable. Trust your gut and make your move if you feel it’s time. To get a job in scouting, you’re going to have to beat the odds.

One more tip: Go where the scouts go. One place where many of them will be will be discussed in this week’s Friday Wrap. If you haven’t already registered for it, make sure to do that here.

2023 All-Star Season: Seven Fun Facts

15 Thursday Dec 2022

Posted by in Agents, Getting started, Scouts

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We’re about three weeks away from the first all-star game of the 2023 NFL Draft season, the College Gridiron Showcase in Fort Worth, Texas. It’s a critical time of year if you follow the draft. We thought we’d discuss a few points of interest with each of the games that you may not have known.

  • For the first time at least since ITL launched in 2002, the NFL will not send team staffs to the Senior Bowl to coach. Instead, they’ll send those staffs to the East-West Shrine Bowl in Las Vegas. The teams are not yet determined, and will be the two who pick highest in the ’23 draft and that have intact coaching staffs (i.e., they didn’t fire their head coach).
  • Of the top six games (Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl, NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, Hula Bowl, College Gridiron Showcase and Tropical Bowl), two are led by former NFL scouts. Jim Nagy, who runs the Senior Bowl, spent almost two decades with the Redskins, Chiefs, Patriots and Seahawks. Dane Vandernat, who leads the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, spent almost 10 years with the Raiders.
  • Meanwhile, two former NFL agents founded all-star games. CGS co-founder Craig Redd was NFLPA-certified from 1999-2015, while Tropical Bowl founder Michael Quartey got certified in 2007 and spend three years representing players.
  • There have been at least two all-star games in Florida since 2016, when the Tropical Bowl launched in Miami alongside the Shrine Game, which was in St. Petersburg, Fla. The Shrine Bowl has since moved west to Las Vegas, but the Hula Bowl has settled in Orlando.
  • Between its Small-School Showcase, specialists workout and two full rosters (Wranglers and Desperadoes), the CGS hosts about 320 draft-eligible players across its five-day schedule. That’s only about 30-40 fewer  than is invited to the NFL Combine each year.
  • The Senior Bowl, CGS and Tropical Bowl are the only three games played continuously since 2019, with the Shrine Bowl, NFLPA Bowl and Hula Bowl suspending play for Covid in 2021.
  • It’s not just football luminaries that show up at all-star games. In 2016, with Charlie Weis coaching the Shrine Game, his friend, Jon Bon Jovi, showed up for game week and hung around the lobby of the Tradewinds Island Resort, the host hotel.

All-star season is a great time to build your network and make key contacts. Travel always has costs, but if you’re smart and you book in advance, you can hit a lot of these stops without breaking the bank. I hope to see you out on the trail.

Make sure you’re reading our newsletter, the Friday Wrap, for more tips on scouting, all-star games, coaching hiring (and firing), player representation, NIL and everything else associated with the business of the game. Register here.

 

 

Want To Be An NFL Agent? Some Thanksgiving Advice

24 Thursday Nov 2022

Posted by in Agents, Getting started

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Wednesday, an old friend in the business reached out about the son of a friend who’s getting into player representation. “Since the area of NIL and being a player agent is out of my comfort zone, I knew you could provide a link or two for third party guidance,” he wrote. “I don’t want to put you on the spot, but I know you are the best in this area.”

I didn’t have any ready links to send him, and I felt a little bad about that. But since it’s Thanksgiving, I thought I’d give back a little. Having worked with and watched agents make mistakes for more than two decades, here are the three biggest mistakes agents commonly make.

“The contacts I have are enough to make me successful.” I’d say about a third of every agent class enters the business with no contacts. It happens, but it’s rare. Most new agents have an ex-roommate, a friend, a family member or someone else at a key school or NFL team, and that person has promised to help him. i’d even say that more than half have been told by a draft-eligible player, “if you get certified, I’ll sign with you.” It rarely happens, though. The truth is, you have to commit to making a slew of contacts AFTER you get certified, or you’re dead in the water. You have no chance otherwise.

“Negotiating is the most important part of my job.” This is the big takeaway that most sport management programs drill into their students for four years (and maybe two more if the student is dumb enough to pursue a master’s). The truth is, since the 2011 CBA was approved, a rookie deal is cut and dried. Unless you have a player signed as an undrafted free agent, negotiation is not really something a young agent has to have in his bag. It will be a long time before you’re sitting across the table from an NFL executive, angrily haggling over dollars and deals.

“I can do this without spending much money.” I have a wealth manager who is like the Michael Jordan of investment. He is highly accomplished in his field. About 10 years ago, he became part of the ITL family. I kinda rolled my eyes, thinking this was a flight of fancy for a man who’s successful but bored. His first year was pretty much right out of the “how to be an NFL financial advisor” annual. With my guidance, he dutifully attended the top all-star games, handed out his literature to the players, and bought dinners for friendly but usually lightly regarded agents. After a couple years of doing that, he had zero clients. However, he stuck with it, and like anyone who’s smart and pays his dues, he has built a decent practice. But that took 10 years and who knows how much money, not to mention time? He was willing to make the commitment, but even then, it wasn’t easy.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, and if you’re part of the ITL family, that is especially true. If you aren’t, and you want to be, I’m eager to start working with you. Don’t want to commit yet? At least sign up for our newsletter.

Have a great day with your family, and enjoy the games.

Our First Zoom Guest for New Agents: Octagon’s Murphy McGuire

29 Thursday Sep 2022

Posted by in Agents, Getting started

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Sometime in the summer of 2013, when my wife was working for our church, she mentioned that she had met a kid who wanted to meet me. He found out what I did and wanted to learn more. She said she thought he was interested in being an agent. I think I rolled my eyes. A lot of people think I have a really cool job until they find out how mundane most of my work is. Murphy stuck around, however, and worked as an intern at ITL for 2-3 years until he graduated from law school.

Most of my interns get the passion for working in football burned out of them, so when Murphy told me he was gonna take the NFL agent exam in the summer of 2015, I was surprised, and a little pissed. Have you not been paying attention, I thought? Do you not understand the futility of working as a small, independent NFL agent? The costs involved? The years of frustration? The potential for wasted money and time? Still, despite my urgings, he took and passed the NFLPA exam on the first try. It’s worth noting that 2015 was the year the NFLPA sharply increased the difficulty of the test, but Murphy still passed on his first try. 

He has surprised me several times since. He was the only independent rookie agent to have a player drafted in his first year (Texas Tech’s Jakeem Grant, who went 6/186 to the Dolphins in 2016 and remains active with the Bears today). He even starred in a reality TV series on the NFL Network that year (Murphy is in the first frame, wearing a ball cap, in this video). He also made the leap to a major agency (Octagon Football) just 2-3 years after getting certified, and today, less than 10 years after getting certified, he’s tied for No. 59 among all active NFL agents with 16 clients in the league. That may not sound like much, but it’s pretty impressive for someone who was told he “looks like some young kid” when he solicited a major agent at a top firm about a job at his first Senior Bowl in 2014, I think. 

Anyway, I say all this because Murphy will be my guest Thursday, Oct. 6, at 8 p.m. ET, as we host our first monthly Zoom sessions for members of the 2022 NFL agent class. It’s something we started last year, and I found that getting rookie contract advisors on Zoom to ask questions of someone who was once in their shoes is a great way to learn. I’ll make a few brief points, then we’ll get on with the interview. Here are a few things I’ll ask him about:

  • How long did it take him to build a network of scouts willing to talk to him?
  • How did he build that network?
  • How did he choose Jakeem as his first client? What did he tell him so Jakeem would take a chance on a rookie agent? 
  • How did he handle training costs, etc., in his early, independent days?
  • How did he latch on with an established agency so quickly? 
  • How has the industry changed, and what’s the biggest challenge he faces now? 
  • How have the players changed? 
  • What would be his advice for agents getting started today? 

Bottom line, this is your chance to get the keys to the kingdom from a real NFL agent success story, straight from the horse’s mouth.

If you’re interested in joining us, you’re welcome to, even if you’re just curious and not  even a contract advisor. However, there’s one catch: you have to be an ITL client. You can register here. It’s $29.95/mo, and you can cancel at any time.

I hope to see you in a week. In the meantime, get more scoop about the football business by registering for our weekly newsletter, the Friday Wrap. Do that here.

Best Tips on Passing the 2022 NFL Agent Exam

15 Friday Jul 2022

Posted by in Agents, Getting started

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This is the last weekend before the 2022 NFL Agent Exam, which means it’s go time for everyone hoping to become NFLPA-licensed this fall. At ITL, for the past week, we’ve been frantically filling orders on our practice exams, study guide and videos. Still, just having the right tools isn’t enough. Encouragement and counsel on how to pass matter, too.

We try to accomplish that every year with the ITL Rising Contract Advisor Newsletter, in which we interview members of the most recent agent class who got players on 90-man rosters. We find it’s a good way to remind test-takers that their mission isn’t impossible.

Here’s a distillation of some of the best tips we’ve gotten from agents we’ve worked with over the past decade. If you’re taking the test Wednesday, we hope you’ll find some useful morsels of wisdom:

  • “I remember that there was a question about if there is a playoff bye, do you get a playoff bonus? The guy at the lecture said twice it wouldn’t be on the test, but it was. I don’t think he was doing that intentionally, but it did end up being on the test. So be thorough, and get your questions answered (during the pre-exam seminars).” — Aston Wilson, Agency1 Sports Group, Class of 2012
  • “The most difficult part of the exam is not the different concepts. It is knowing how to find the information.” — Nathan Shackelford, Higher Calling Sports, Class of 2019
  • “The way it was structured, you had to know what they were talking about or it would lead you to the wrong answer.” — John Thornton, Roc Nation Sports, Class of 2013
  • “If you go in there well-prepared, I think you can take it and pass.” — Tory Dandy, CAA, Class of 2013
  • “The way I did it, every sub-section of the exam, I created a binder for that section. It’s not about what you know, but how fast you can get to the material. If you didn’t print it out and have it organized, you’re not gonna get it.” — Ty Tascioglu, Sports Planning, Inc., Class of 2021
  • “The way they presented the material, you really had to study the CBA and all the material, from beginning to end, because the test had a lot of things on there.” — Malki Kawa, First-Round Management, Class of 2014
  • “My advice is to go into the exam with the mindset that they are trying to trip you up with the way the exam is worded.” — A.J. Vayner, VaynerSports, Class of 2018
  • “Every slide at the seminar I wrote down. My hand was so cramped when it was done, but I’m one of those guys, when I write something down, I memorize it. And since it was an open-book test, it really helped me to go back to some of the stuff I might not have remembered during the test.” — Murphy McGuire, Octagon Football, Class of 2015
  • “I went through flash cards and I had the CBA color-coded.” — Christian Kranz, Generation Sports Group, Class of 2015
  • “I probably interacted with 50 guys, and I’d say 35 didn’t come prepared whatsoever.” — Josh Grady, Grady Sports, Class of 2016
  • “By all means, use the ITL practice exam. The questions and how they were worded are very similar to the actual exam.” — Logan Brown, Logan Brown Sports, Class of 2016

Still need an extra boost to pass the exam? We have a study guide, practice exams, six instructional videos and even agents on call, ready to provide one-on-one help for reasonable prices. Don’t wait. Hit us up here or on our Twitter, where DMs are always open.

The NIL Conundrum: Three Popular Questions

07 Thursday Jul 2022

Posted by in Getting started, NIL

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This week, we continue our conversation with Vantage Management Group’s Sammy Spina, who has a unique perspective on name, image and likeness due to his extensive work in the space. He also heads a popular sports management course called Breaking Into Sports that has helped many young people get a foothold in the industry. I asked him the answers to three questions I get most often from agents on how to achieve NIL success, and here are his responses.

What’s the best mix between “self-generated” income (apparel and branded merchandise) and sponsored income (appearances, endorsements and social media)? 

I will use the famous lawyer answer here: “it depends.” Social media following is probably the main driving force behind self-generated income, but not every athlete will have the requisite number of followers to really build a strong presence. My goal has always been to generate the most money and/or best-case scenario for my clients without causing them to do too much work. Obviously, his school and his sport come first; NIL is a byproduct of that success. As a result, I would say most of my athlete NIL deals have come from sponsored income, and I have done very little “self-generated income” for my clients because it typically takes more time, effort, and energy.

One thing to keep in mind with self-generated income is that everyone wants to start their own clothing line! If that’s your goal, make sure you do something different that does more than simply having your client’s name on a T-shirt. Create a story, vision, movement, or charitable donation to help drive more customers for recurring revenue. No “story” usually means no legitimate self-generated income. There has to be something that separates your client from all the other student-athletes out there.

What’s the minimum number of social media followers one needs to make money in NIL? And does it matter which platform? 

Instagram and TikTok are the two driving forces behind most social media influencers, probably because they’re visual platforms. I wouldn’t say there is a minimum number of followers, because I have been able to secure paid social media and personal appearance deals for clients who have fewer than 2,000 followers; despite their limited followings, respectively, each was were paid more than $1,000 per opportunity.  Of course, it certainly helps when you have a strong following and, even more importantly, strong engagement! Remember, the most important factor is showing companies why such an appearance makes sense! What is unique about this deal that will generate headlines for the company and for the athlete?

I have seen a shift to LinkedIn as well, which also helps your athlete clients showcase their unique partnerships to business professionals in industries across the world. However, LinkedIn is still in its growing phase, so it’s easier to use other platforms (like TikTok) to gain exposure on posts that align with your audiences’ interests.

How much of NIL income is totally dependent on a player’s school? Geographic location? Position he plays?

A lot of it. It has been a lot more difficult to generate significant dollars and deals in smaller towns – such as Stillwater, OK where the majority of businesses are family-owned – than, say, in a larger city like Pittsburgh. Don’t get me wrong: fans and business owners will always want to support their college athletes. However, not every school is equal in that regard.

Quarterbacks will almost always make the most money. That is a given. However, there are opportunities for everyone. You have to get creative and you have to work! For example, I took an offensive lineman with fewer than 5,000 Instagram followers and got him paid appearances (without signing autographs), a custom suit deal, a restaurant deal, a meal prep company endorsement and other deals. I even got him an appearance as an ambassador for a cruise ship. I give this example to showcase the importance of relationships, how to be creative and how to show the value and impact your client will bring to the company.

 

Another Chance to Grow: Mueller Scout Camp

19 Thursday May 2022

Posted by in Getting started, Scouts

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Scouting (and specifically, getting jobs in scouting) is on the minds of many these days  with teams hiring and firing as part of the usual post-draft phase. I can’t count the number of members of NCAA personnel and recruiting departments who’ve reached out to me over the past 2-3 weeks, asking for tips on how to interview.

I try to respond to all of them, and do the best I can to give them good advice. However, there are those who have actually done the hiring that can do way better. One of those people is former NFL GM Randy Mueller, who’s spent time in the front offices in New Orleans, Miami, Seattle and San Diego in various roles (serving as GM of the Saints, Dolphins and Seahawks). These days, Randy writes a must-read blog on his personal web page, but next month, you don’t have to get your advise and counsel through via the Web.

Randy will host a two-day workshop in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, that will be the first-ever Mueller Scout Camp. Included in the event will be five individual sessions, including a resume review and a mock GM interview with Randy. Sessions will included pointers on film evaluation, the dynamics of team-building, how to gather character information on recruits and prospects, how to build a consensus without encouraging groupthink, building your board and more. 

“A couple of bigger-program head coaches asked me if I could coach up some of their people on the art of identifying and evaluating players,” Mueller said. “Everyone, coaches included, needs a refresher, so think of a coaching clinic, but this is an evaluator’s clinic. 

“People who do this for a living have got to be able to identify what most don’t see when looking for talent.”

Randy said his goal is to “give (attendees) some tools and a process to build fundamentals as an evaluator as they progress in the business.”

It’s a pretty exciting opportunity when you consider that he’s only taking 12 students. As someone who loves to see professionals invest in the next generation, I’m pretty enthusiastic about Randy’s camp, as well as the one I’ll be attending this weekend in Las Vegas, the 2022 Personnel/Recruiting Spring Clinic in Las Vegas. That one is being run by UNLV’s Gaizka Crowley and Colorado State’s Lucas Gauthier. Hope to see you there.

For more information on Mueller Scout Camp, including pricing, email Randy at info@muellerfootball.com.