Five Tips on Passing the ’23 NFL Agent Exam from Last Year’s Test-Takers

14 Friday Jul 2023

Posted by in Agents, Getting started, ITL

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We’re currently 11 days away from the 2023 NFL Agent Exam. If you’re taking the test, that should give you pause (and perhaps scare you to death). But it doesn’t have to be that way. Though the exam is not at all easy, you can pass it if you approach it the right way.

This week, I reached out to several of the contract advisors we worked with during the 2022 exam prep phase. Not only did all of them pass the exam last summer, but they also were among the rare rookie agents who landed players on NFL rosters in their first year in the business (one even had a player drafted).

Here’s what they told me about how they pulled off passing the test.

  • Organize your notes: This was probably the most popular advice of all. It’s not just making sure you have a copy of the CBA printed out and neatly tucked into a binder. It’s much more than that. “I had three binders plus my outline on test day,” said David Gregory, the only independent first-year agent to have a player drafted this spring. “(I had) a binder for CBA with all charts that I knew I would use frequently placed up front; a binder for the drug and performance-enhancing substance policies, and a binder for all side documents and other policies.” Said EJ Gonzalez of Grady Sports: “I set up my notes on my desk the day before (the exam) in a way that I knew where everything was, then reviewed where everything was the morning of and again before I took it.” “I had page numbers of where to find certain topics next to each section within my notes,” said Samantha Blitzer of Goal Line Football. “That way, if I had to refer to the CBA, I wasn’t scrambling to find it.”
  • Pay attention at the NFLPA seminar: You can glean a lot of what will actually be tested from the three days of classes provided pre-exam. “They aren’t speaking for their health,” Gonzalez said. “They are telling you what’s on it. I took 10-12 pages (front and back) of notes during the seminar and I remember a couple answers just being based off seminar notes.” At the same time, it’s important to keep your sense of humor. “The (questions asked in the online) chat functions . . . were hilarious,” said Juan Lozano of Red Envelope Sports. “They gave me a lot of confidence because I knew some people were asking ridiculous questions and they would have no chance passing that test if they were asking those questions a day before the exam.”
  • Give yourself plenty of time: Obviously, there’s no way to turn back the clock, but hopefully you didn’t begin preparations this week. “I started studying in January, so I gave myself plenty of time to get to know the material,” said Alex Broers of Vantage Management Group.
  • Pace yourself/don’t rush: Making sure you don’t spend too much time early in the exam, forcing you to rush late, was a recurring theme. “You only have three minutes per question, so you don’t have a lot of time,” Broers said. Added Gregory,  “I made sure I was done with 20 questions by the end of Hour 1 and 40 questions by the end of Hour 2, etc. If you’re not sure, just answer the question and come back to it at the end. if you have time.”
  • Read the questions carefully: “They will throw fluff in there that has nothing to do with the answer,” Blitzer said. “On the test, they definitely try to trick you with how they word questions rather than which topic the question is referring to. There will be one or two words that will completely change the scenario, so keep an eye out for that.”

If you found these tips helpful, we’ve got more. In this evening’s Friday Wrap, we’ll have five more, straight from the people who were successful in passing the exam last summer. You don’t want to miss them, and you won’t as long as you register for the Wrap, which you can do here.

NFL Agent Exam 2023: Here’s Why People Fail

06 Thursday Jul 2023

Posted by in Agents, Getting started

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If you read this blog consistently (or pretty much any of ITL’s materials), you know that I estimate that there’s only about a 25 percent passing rate for aspiring agents in their first try at the test (it’s around 50 percent for the second try). The NFLPA is serious about not letting just anyone become a contract advisor.

So why is the passing rate so low? Why do so many people fail, especially the first time around? Here’s what I think.

  • The test is hard: In the early 2010s, the exam was pretty tough, but manageable. Our clients passed at a 75 percent rate, a pretty comfortable level. If you put your time in and used good study materials, you had a decent shot at passing. However, in 2015, the exam took a turn toward much greater difficulty, much to the surprise of everyone who took it. Every year, when I speak to the most recent test-takers, there are many who say the exam is easy. I applaud them for their preparation and intelligence, but for the vast majority of people, it’s quite a challenge.
  • Pride: Everyone who takes the exam is an accomplished person. The overwhelming majority have, at the very least, a graduate degree. Only about 14 percent of the population has a master’s, a Ph.D, a diploma from law school, etc. Start there. Then consider that many are top-notch attorneys, business owners, or otherwise established professionals. It’s natural that many of them don’t think an open-book, multiple choice exam presents much of a challenge. 
  • Procrastination: Listen, I can put things off with the best of them, but the agent exam is nothing to leave until the last minute. I used to say 60 days was sufficient, but I kinda feel 90 days is more appropriate given the volume of material in the CBA. Still, it never fails that despite all my warnings, we see a serious uptick in sales of our exam prep materials starting on July 1. Some don’t even start studying until a week out. Hey, some of those people even pass, but not many. I realize $2,500 is not much money to some people, but to me, waiting to start studying in July is tantamount to setting that money on fire.
  • Excessive frugality, i.e., being cheap: If you’re taking the exam, you should be prepared to set aside at least $500 on materials that will help you pass. That’s the floor. We have a number of excellent, proven materials, but we aren’t the only service on the market, and there are other good ones out there. Bottom line, this is a business that demands that you spend money sometimes. The pre-exam phase is one of those times. 

Are there other reasons people fail? Maybe, but these are the main reasons. If you’re taking the exam, please don’t fall victim to one of the above reasons (though it’s too late if you were hoping to avoid procrastination). I know you want to pass, and we want you to pass, too. Give us a shot. Here’s a little more info about what we offer. Also, make sure to sign up for our newsletter, the Friday Wrap, for information on what’s ahead over the next two-plus weeks. 

 

2023 NFL Agent Exam: Five Topics You Must Master to Pass

28 Wednesday Jun 2023

Posted by in Agents, Getting started

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Earlier this month, I wanted to gauge the subjects in the CBA that our test-takers are struggling with most, so I put together a poll. It was pretty straightforward, and listed 19 topics. I asked participants to choose 10, but five easily garnered the most support. 

If you’re taking the exam in 26 days, I thought you might benefit from knowing what other people taking the exam are spending most of their time reviewing. Here’s a rundown of the most popular (?) topics, along with the number who listed it as among the most challenging:

Workman’s comp offsets/extended injury compensation (82 percent): This one is a biggie, obviously, which is why almost all our respondents chose it as an important topic to cover. Our CBA expert Ian Greengross, who heads instruction on all our video sessions, covers this topic in our April Zoom session. In fact, he spends a quarter of the hour-long session on this one topic. You can order it here ($35 plus tax).

Draft signals (65 percent): This one is hard because you have to gather information from a rather involved chart, then applying it to other information gathered from a different chart and doing a little math. Tracking and referencing the right chart is a big part of success on the agent exam. This topic is also covered in our April video, which you can order here. 

Exclusive rights free agency, restricted free agency, transition tag, franchise tag, exclusive franchise tag (65 percent): Like sorting out an accrued season, a season of earned credit for benefits, and a season of earned credit for salary, knowing the various levels of free agency based on player experience is critical. This is covered in our March video, which you can order here.

Termination pay (59 percent): Being able to compute what a player has coming based on his annual salary, when he made the team, when he got released, and how many weeks are left, isn’t complicated, but still can trip you up. Ian spent more than a fourth of the hour in May discussing this; you can order the video here. 

Veteran Salary Benefit (59 percent): This is another topic that requires you get all your charts straight and otherwise follow the rules established by the 2020 CBA. Not complicated, per se, but you better make sure you don’t get lost in all the numbers. This topics is also covered in the May video, which you can order here.

If you’re looking for a video rundown of almost every hot topic in the CBA, you can pick up all five of our sessions so far (February, March, April, May and June) for $175 plus tax. Order them all here. 

Whether or not you use any of our videos, I hope you find the answers you seek. My advice: whether you use or materials or someone else’s, do not go cheap in trying to pass the exam. It’s incredibly challenging, and you’ll want to take advantage of every resource you can find to make things clearer and easier to understand.

 

2023 NFL Agent Exam: Why We Can Help

23 Friday Jun 2023

Posted by in Agents, Getting started

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We are now one month (31 days) from July 24, when the 2023 NFLPA Collective Bargaining Exam will be held for aspiring NFL agents. If you’re taking the exam, that should give you a little urgency.

Also, if you’re taking the exam, hopefully you’re working with us on passing it. Here’s what we offer. Though there are others out there who have exam prep services, if you’re not using ours, you’re making a big mistake. Here’s why I think so.

  • We were the pioneers in agent exam prep, introducing our first practice exam in 2012. We followed up with a second practice exam in 2018.
  • Ours is the only service that uses a real, live, certified NFLPA contract advisor with multiple first-round clients on his resume to teach our students. Chicago-based Ian Greengross, who teaches our monthly Zoom sessions, represented LSU OH Joseph Addai (1/30, Colts, 2006) and Arkansas OH Darren McFadden (1/4, Raiders, 2008) during the pre-draft phase and on through their NFL careers. 
  • This year’s first-rounders were represented by 16 firms. Of the 16, 15 have at least one agent on staff (some have several) who got certified using our exam prep materials.
  • There were 34 rookie contract advisors who got at least one client on a 90-man roster this year (2023 draft). That’s a huge accomplishment for a first-year agent, especially if you’re an independent representative who’s not with any of the established firms. Of that 34, 23 worked with us on passing the exam. 
  • Of the 13 rookie agents who put multiple clients on NFL rosters this year, 10 worked with us.
  • Of the top 20 agencies based on draft value points since 2007 (i.e., the biggest and best firms in the industry), 16 are still active and have not been absorbed into bigger companies. Of those 16, 14 have used ITL to help in the certification process for at least one agent. Some agencies have used us to help several of its agents pass the exam.

Do our exam prep materials cost money? Sure. You’ve already spent $2,500 just to take the exam, and you probably are trying to contain costs. Remember, in the old days (pre-2020), everyone went to Washington, D.C., for three days/two nights to take the exam. That’s about $1,500 by the time you pay for a flight and spend two nights sleeping, eating and drinking at a luxury hotel. You can get everything we offer — study guide, both practice exams and all seven videos — for about half that. So you’re playing with house money.

If you’re taking the exam this summer, good luck. I really hope you pass. I also really hope you consider using our materials. We’ll give you a far, far greater chance to make it past a very challenging test. Give us a shot. 

Ask the Scout: A Sneak Peek at Blake Beddingfield’s Summer Sleepers

14 Wednesday Jun 2023

Posted by in Agents, NFL draft, Scouts

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Several years ago, my friend Blake Beddingfield, who spent two decades on the Titans’ scouting staff, began getting on Zoom in October to discuss 50-plus rising players who were still off the grid with NFL draftniks (and even some NFL teams).

It got pretty popular and we had dozens of agents join us. We even had a few friends with NFL teams join us, just to make sure they weren’t missing anyone. It’s become a pretty popular feature and a regular part of what we do pre-Thanksgiving. The value is in the hidden gems Blake uncovers; everyone knows the 100-odd players who will go in the first couple rounds, but it’s much harder to predict the players who will make up players 150 to 250, plus the hot undrafted free agents.

It’s really hard to ask someone to provide names of players who are just good enough to be drafted, but not so good that they’ll be drafted before the fourth round. This is where you really have to have an eye for evaluation. Here are a few highlights from last year’s list:

  • Blake provided a list of 58 players. Only seven entered the draft and didn’t get drafted or signed. Of that seven, five went to one or more rookie mini-camps.
  • Of the 58, 21 went back to school, no doubt after being offered fat NIL deals. Can’t blame them for that.
  • Of the 30 remaining players, Blake accurately predicted all but 5-6 to go on Day 3 or to be signed post-draft. Of the other half-dozen, all went in the second or third round. 
  • Blake recommended four players who would be invited as tryout players, then earn UDFA deals during rookie mini-camp. They included Ball State DC Jaquan Amos, who recently signed with the Ravens; Arkansas FS Latavious Brini, who signed with the Jaguars; La.-Lafayette DC Eric Garror, who signed with the Titans; and UCF OH Isaiah Bowser, who signed with the Bills. There were only 24 players, total, who went from rookie tryout to UDFA deal, and Blake predicted four players who would pull off that difficult task.

This year, we’re going to put out a preseason list. Blake will present 50-plus players Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET on Zoom. Cost is $40 plus tax, and anyone can join us. Everyone that participates will get a copy of the video as well as Blake’s XL list. We’re expecting dozens of contract advisors and even a few friends of mine in professional evaluation. 

Like everyone else, I’m eager to see Blake’s list. “I tried to focus a lot on OL,” Blake told me. “Pass rushers and some other good PFAs and a few players that didn’t play as much last year, but may be big risers this year.”

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the players Blake will discuss Thursday night.

  • Logan Brown, OT, Kansas — Has the size and traits for the NFL, but needs to add strength and experience. Has character issues.
  • Reggie Grimes, DE, Oklahoma — Rising player with good bloodlines. Developing as a pass rusher. 
  • Willie Lampkin, OC, Coastal Carolina  — Very competitive player in camp who needs to continue to enhance his quickness, speed and athleticism.  
  • Joe More, OT, Syracuse — Four-year starter at Richmond who is hoping to prove he can compete on the FBS level this year. 
  • Zion Logue, DT, Georgia — The latest defensive line project out of Athens isn’t on the Jordan Davis/Jalen Carter level, and has been mostly a reserve to this point, but has interesting upside.

I hope you can join us Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET. It’s going to be a lot of fun. I can hardly wait to see the players Blake has on his list. Cost is $40 plus tax, and you can register here.

When Should You Start Studying for the NFL Agent Exam?

09 Friday Jun 2023

Posted by in Agents, Getting started, ITL

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This week, I got this same question from two different aspiring NFL agents. I’ve included one of them verbatim (or mostly verbatim):

“I’m . . . interested in figuring out when I should start reviewing (exam) materials, when I should hop on the zooms, and when I should start doing the deep dive? Is it too early to start looking at things now for the sake of at least getting a general understanding? Let me know your thoughts.”

My response is different from the one I used to give.

With the exam less than two months away, we’re starting to get our usual surge of study guide, video and practice exam purchases. I think that used to be the right amount of time. Not long ago, if you studied hard for two months, you were pretty much golden. It wasn’t long ago that the passing rate for the exam was, well, pretty reasonable. However, starting in 2015, the pass rate got a lot harder.

I remember the responses from people who had barely failed a pretty passable exam in 2014, then came back excited and optimistic in 2015, only to find a test that was appreciably harder. I felt terrible for the ones who came up short that year, earning themselves a five-year waiting period until they could try again. Most never did. However, since 2015, the NFLPA has doubled down. I tell test-takers these days that there’s about a 25-percent chance of passing for first-timers, and maybe 50-50 on the second try. That’s not based on hard numbers, but I think it’s pretty accurate.

As a result of this, when people approach me about taking the exam next year, I tell them it’s not a bad idea to get started now. I recommend they pick up the study guide and start getting familiar with the terms. Maybe they order the videos if they are more visual learners. Bottom line, if you think you can just wait until a few weeks before the exam to get started, like it’s an algebra test, you’re sorely mistaken.

I mean, it’s possible to pass in less time, but you’re looking at a major investment of time and money. It just makes no sense to take that kind of risk, especially when the amount of money you’re spending is absolute peanuts in the face of the costs associated with representing players in the modern era. 

If you’re reading this, and you’re taking the exam in the summer of 2024, get started on the CBA now. You’ll thank me later. If you’re taking it in 46 days, start now. NOW. You cannot procrastinate and expect to pass an exam that 75 percent of test-takers (all of them with a secondary degree, most of them attorneys) routinely fail.

For a full rundown of everything we offer, including topics of all our videos and costs of all our services, sign up for the Friday Wrap. You can register here.

 

2023 XFL Rookie Draft: A Recap of Our Zoom

02 Friday Jun 2023

Posted by in Agents, XFL

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I’ve been fortunate enough to have developed a good relationship with Russ Giglio and Doug Whaley of the XFL, and as a result, they’ve joined me on several Zoom sessions aimed at NFL contract advisors. The latest session was Wednesday, and it was really productive as Russ and Doug opened with remarks about the Rookie Draft set for Friday, June 16, then answered questions for the better part of an hour.

Here’s the complete recording of our session. If you don’t have time to wade through it — and if you represent a player who hopes to be drafted later this month, I think you should — here are a few highlights.

  • The actual time of the draft is not yet set. However, it will be a 10-round draft, so only 80 players will be selected. Doug and Russ didn’t expect any of the teams to pass on their later-round picks, as happened in January.
  • This will be a rights draft. Players won’t be tendered contracts after they’re selected. However, Russ and Doug said they expected them to be provided no later than August/September. The league is working on finalizing contracts for the 2024 season. 
  • One of the holdups is that players are weighing forming a union. They said they expect the union issue to be resolved by the end of the summer.
  • The draft class is made up solely of players who were NFL Draft-eligible in April. If a player has signed an NFL, CFL or USFL contract, that player is not eligible for the draft June 16. On the other hand, due to the league’s partnership with the Indoor Football League, players under contract with IFL teams will be included in the XFL June draft pool.
  • There is no player pool, per se. Players just have to be draft-eligible for 2023 and not signed with another league. 

  • Players who are bypassed in June are not shut out of the league. There will be a second draft after NFL cuts in November, and there are no restrictions on age or playing experience for that draft (exact date still TBA). 

  • After this summer’s six showcases across the country in June and July, the XFL will take the’ top performers to a two-day combine in Arlington, Texas. There are about 200 players at each of the six showcases, and the league will take the top 150-200 performers from all six of the events to the XFL combine. 

  • Agents with players interested in the June 16 Rookie Draft or the draft at the end of the summer are encouraged to send their clients’ information to fbo@xfl.com. Make sure to include player’s name and position; last school played for; draft year; last pro team (if applicable); email and cell of player; and player’s agent. 

There’s plenty more to know, so I encourage you to check out the video if you hope to play in the league next year or represent someone who does.

Need even more info? Check out the Friday Wrap, which comes out later today. You can register for it here.

NFL Scouting: Balancing the Journey and the Destination

26 Friday May 2023

Posted by in Getting started, Scouts

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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. 

 

Interested in Scouting? Here’s How to Use ITL

16 Tuesday May 2023

Posted by in NFL draft, Scouts

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Here’s something I’m told pretty frequently: “Hey Neil, you post a lot of good stuff about scouting on your Twitter account, but I don’t know if your site would benefit me.” Fair enough. We’re at the height of scout hiring-and-firing season, so I thought this would be a good time to explain why I think our site is especially useful for people hoping to start a career in NFL player evaluation.

The most important aids are our Rep Rumblings posts. Most of the year, we’re talking about the agent world, all-star game developments, rookie mini-camp dates, NFL pro day dates, NIL stuff, etc. However, from the end of April pretty much until the end of June, we’re talking about how NFL teams are staffing their front offices. For example, last week, we posted information on the teams that have had scouting assistants for at least two years; most SA terms last two years, so it’s likely those teams will have turnover. If you’re looking to break into the game, this kind of info is vital.

On the other hand, if you’re a little further along in your journey and have made a few contacts, you need to know where key people are headed. We predicted two moves the day after the draft that came true (or, at least, mostly true) by the end of the week. 

So, anyway, our Rep Rumblings are positively vital. But there’s more that’s pretty much equally helpful.

  • Our Know Your Scouts series is where you need to start unless your plan for employment is simply casting resumes aimlessly at every team’s general email address. Getting hired is always about personal connections and your network, and you can’t build a network until you know which people have a similar story to yours, or an alma mater, a fraternity, etc. We break down year hired, years in the league, alma mater, official title and more for every member of every NFL scouting department.
  • Don’t know how to contact a scout? Start with our email frames, which give you the email structure for all 32 teams.
  • For the last 12 years, we’ve tracked every move — hires, dismissals, reassignments, retirements, etc. — in every NFL front office in our Scouting Changes Grid. If you want to study how teams build their staffs, this is need-to-know information.
  • If you’re really aggressive, knowing when NFL teams hold their rookie mini-camps is important. Most teams wait until after camp to start pruning their staff and making changes. We always post our list before anyone else; this year, we had it up the Monday of draft week. It’s the kind of thing that can make a difference if you know how to take advantage of it.

Still not sold? Maybe an unsolicited testimonial from a current NFL scout is in order.

“I think the scouting movement was extremely valuable for me trying to get in. . . I saw your (tweet) on (an NFL scout) leaving (his team) last year. I got a hold of (their GM) and the rest was history. Wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for you work and it’s greatly appreciated!”

We provide free trials and we have a special rate for people hoping to be in the Next Wave of NFL scout hires. Hit us up if you’d like to know more. DMs are always open. If you want to be the next Howie Roseman, John Lynch, John Schneider or Brandon Beane, we want to help.

 

Mark Gorscak: A Good Man Calls It A Career

12 Friday May 2023

Posted by in NFL draft, Scouts

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May is about new commencement exercises and big life changes, so when my friend Mark Gorscak texted me Thursday telling me, “I’m going to graduate tomorrow from the Steelers,” it was perfect for a man who has been so influential, even a teacher, for so many people.

If you’re a fan of the game, you know Mark as the guy sitting at the start of the 40 on timing day at the NFL Combine. He’s been doing that for as long as I remember, and definitely for as long as the NFL Network has broadcast the 40. At the same time, if you work for a school’s personnel department and you aspired to work in the league, you know him a different way. I can’t tell you how many budding evaluators I know on the college side who talk about how much time Mark was willing to give them, the tips he provided, or the doors he opened.

In February of 2022, I was lucky enough to present Mark with the C.O. Brocato Memorial Award for Lifetime Service to NFL Scouting. I have to admit that of all the awards we hand out at our annual ITL Combine Seminar, the Brocato Award is my favorite, mainly because it gives me a chance to give some good, humble men a little recognition. Mark certainly fits that description. I remember when he accepted the award a little over a year ago. It was touching to see the whole Steelers scouting department show up, mobbing him shortly before the seminar as they took pictures in the hallway. Even GM Kevin Colbert, in one of his last acts with the team, showed up for Mark. Once the ceremony was under way and I’d presented Mark with his plaque, his remarks were just perfect. He talked about how scouting, and so much of football, is not about the game itself but about people. I mean, chef’s kiss. If there’s anyone in this game who’s constantly selfless, it’s Mark. Of course, I could say that about all the Brocato Award winners so far (Chicago’s Jeff Shiver, Miami Hurricanes executive Alonzo Highsmith and the Giants’ Jeremiah Davis), but Mark has always been that kind of person.

I think the first time I met Mark was in January 2008, when I was running the Hula Bowl, but I didn’t really befriend him until maybe four or five years later, when I reached out, hoping to expand ITL’s work with scouts. I needed to know more about the job, the life, the goods and bads, so he suggested we had lunch at the combine. I mean, here’s an accomplished NFL evaluator offering to spend an hour with some idiot website guy. I felt like I had arrived — I would have been no more honored to have been invited to lunch by Roger Goodell himself. Mark was totally legit, established, loved and accepted by people across the game, but there we were at Weber Grill that day several years ago, discussing the game. He treated me like an equal, though I’m far from that.

Of course, Mark is more than just a good guy. In his 28 years evaluating for the Steelers, there have been few organizations more successful, and it all goes back to scouts like Mark. I mean, the Steelers enter the 2023 season having won at least as many as it lost for 19 straight years. That’s remarkable, and though Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin deserve a lot of credit for that (as well as hundreds of great players, of course), Pittsburgh doesn’t go to eight Super Bowls, winning six, without guys like Mark roaming the roads every fall.

There are probably hundreds of people who could write a blog like this, telling stories of what Mark has done for them. Those people, like myself, will miss Mark and the impact he has had on the game. Mark is not unique in being a good scout and a great man, but any time someone like that “graduates,” it creates a vacancy, a void. It’s a noticeable loss.

Mark has made it clear he’s not done with football, and my guess is that he’ll get a little more time to spend checking out blues and jazz acts around the Pittsburgh area and beyond. At least I hope he does. Music has always been a passion for him. At any rate, I hope I can, in some way, help people the way Mark has.