NIL Notes: Insights from Trevor Swenson’s Zoom Session

27 Friday Aug 2021

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Thursday night, I hosted a Zoom session with Trevor Swenson of Dynamic Talent International. Trevor is a name, image and likeness (NIL) expert given that he works in marketing in the entertainment business. Succeeding at NIL is how he feeds his family.

Here’s the video. However, if you don’t have time to wade through it, here are a few tips he had for the nearly 50 prospective agents who await their exam results from the NFLPA:

  • Stop thinking about how to drum up business for your client; start thinking about making him a business: There are so many platforms (Shopify, YouTube, Facebook, etc.) that can monetize your client. You’ll need to learn them so you can capitalize on them (and there are classes out there to help you). However, first, you need to discuss with them how to create an LLC, how to select a good CPA and put money away for taxes, etc. That’s how you can develop lasting relationships and help prove yourself to the player so he will strongly consider you when it’s time to sign an SRA.
  • One size does not fit all: You have to get to know your NIL clients’ respective regions. There may be differences in the LLC you file based on the state where your player plays. It may also impact his taxes. All of this is to say nothing of your ability to market your client to local businesses, of course. On the other hand . . . .
  • Don’t stress out about endorsements: That is, in-person endorsements. Those will mostly go to the top 1 percent of athletes in your region, so unless you have the quarterback, or an 1,000-yard rusher or receiver, focus on social media plugs. Yes, they are endorsements, but they are much more economical.
  • Learn everything about social media sales and aggregation services (or have someone who is): Some of those services that Trevor listed are Google Marketplace, Facebook Ads Manager and the email platforms (Constant Contact, Mail Chimp and Email Octopus are a few). You need to be fluent with them.
  • Don’t forget about football: If your client handles his business well, compartmentalizing it so it doesn’t affect his game on the field, it could actually help him on draft day. Many scouts I’ve spoken to have said this will give them one more evaluation point, and if it checks out, it shows your client has maturity that will serve him well once every minute of his day isn’t plotted out for him.

Make sure you check out the our YouTube video for more tips from Trevor. For more about the business of football, as always, make sure to register for our Friday Wrap, which comes out at 7:30 p.m. ET tomorrow.

Previewing My Next Podcast, My Favorite Draft

20 Friday Aug 2021

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If you’re as fascinated by the NFL Draft as I am, you’re always looking for war stories about the process and what goes on inside the war room. That was the thinking behind my last podcast (first five episodes here) and it’s the thinking about my next podcast, which I’m calling the My Favorite Draft Podcast.

In the last series, we interviewed nine former scouts and executives about the 2017 draft. It was a lot of fun, and very informative and a learning experience for me and, hopefully, all our listeners. This time, I’ve asked 10 former executives to join me to discuss one particular draft that really stands out to them. These drafts don’t necessarily have to been particularly successful for their respective teams (though I expect they were), but hopefully, they’ll include recognizable names, both that they drafted and that they passed up.

Here are three executives who’ve committed so far and the drafts I’d recommend to them to discuss.

  • Seahawks, 1997: Randy Mueller was Seattle’s Vice President of Football Operations that year, and I hope he’ll go into detail about the team’s selection of two future Pro Bowlers in the top 10, Ohio State DC Shawn Springs (at No. 3) and Florida State OT Walter Jones (at No. 6). Randy has already discussed this draft in his excellent blog and as a guest on my first podcast series. Now, you may say, “big deal! You’re always going to get future stars in the top 10.” Well, first of all, Randy had to make a trade to get that second pick (with limited draft capital), and second, here are some of the other players drafted in the top 10 that year: USC DT Darrell Russell (No. 2), Texas SS Bryant Westbrook (No. 5) and Iowa DC Tom Knight (No. 9) also went in that draft, none of them hanging around past 2003 or playing more than 83 NFL games.
  • Titans, 2016: Having already discussed the Titans’ 2017 draft with former Titans exec Blake Beddingfield extensively in my last podcast series, I think 2016 would make a lot of sense. Not only did the team come up with Alabama’s Derrick Henry, but the team also landed Middle Tennessee State’s Kevin Byard in the third round. There’s also the issue of the team drafting Michigan State OT Jack Conklin the year Ole Miss’ Laremy Tunsil was sliding due to his infamous video, and that might make for an interesting story. If Blake wants to go in a different direction, other drafts with interesting stories I’d love to explore would be 2015 (Marcus Mariota, Dorial Green-Beckham), 2008 (Chris Johnson, William Hayes), 2009 (Kenny Britt, Jared Cook, Jason McCourty) or 2006 (Vince Young, LenDale White, Cortland Finnegan).
  • Raiders, 2007: I doubt my friend Jon Kingdon, formerly the Raiders Director of College Scouting, would consider 2007 his “favorite” draft, per se, but it was sure an interesting one due to the team’s selection of LSU QB JaMarcus Russell with the first overall pick (over Georgia Tech’s Calvin Johnson at No. 2, Wisconsin’s Joe Thomas at No. 3 and Adrian Peterson at No. 7). Did the team try to trade down? How close did the team come to taking another player? Was the Russell pick mandated by colorful and controversial owner Al Davis? Jon already discussed Russell in the excellent book he co-wrote with another former Raiders exec, Bruce Kebric — even devoting a full chapter to the Russell pick (entitled “JaMarcus Russell: The Bust”) — so hopefully we can dig into that a bit. But if not, 2009 (Maryland’s Darrius Heyward-Bay and Ohio’s Mike Mitchell were interesting picks inside the first 47), 1998 (Michigan’s Charles Woodson went to the HOF, No. 23 pick Mo Collins, a guard from Florida, flamed out quickly, and second-round DT Leon Bender died tragically before he could play a game).

Remember, all of these are just my idea of an interesting draft class for them to discuss. They’ve got insights and stories I don’t even know about, so I can’t wait to hear which classes they want to discuss. And keep in mind that this is just three of the former executives we’ll be talking to, so we’re barely scratching the surface.

Stay tuned. It’s gonna be a blast. In the meantime, review my last podcast series here and make sure you’re registered for the Friday Wrap here.

Ask the NFL Scout: Who’s the Best Evaluator You Ever Worked With?

12 Thursday Aug 2021

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Now that the 2021 NFLPA Exam is behind us, we’re turning our attention to the NFL scouting industry. In this week’s Friday Wrap, we’ve got an exciting announcement aimed at recognizing the best evaluators in the game. Today, however, we wanted to get the ball rolling with a question we posed to several former GMs and NFL administrators. 

Here’s the question we asked about a dozen trusted and experienced scouting professionals: Who is the best evaluator you ever worked with? 

Here are some of the responses:

“I remember the bad evaluators more, I would say the best one was (former Bills GM) John Butler. All of us can see the obvious things you can measure, (but) John had a great knack for picking guys with the intangibles. He had a feel for players that fit team needs.” — Buddy Nix, former executive with the Bills and Chargers

“That’s easy, (former Chargers and Redskins executive) Dick Daniels. He challenged you to (look at) how the player fit . . . not only on the field but also in the locker room and in the position room. He always knew what the big picture was while planning ahead.” — Don Gregory, former Panthers Director of Player Personnel and evaluator with Chiefs and Chargers

“Can I say it this way? The best evaluator who worked for me is (Colts GM) Chris Ballard. We hired him in June 2001 and that was his first NFL job. From the start, he got it. Was especially good with DBs, and I have never seen a scout before or after be able to present a player like Chris did. I knew after 2-3 years he was going to be a future GM.” — Greg Gabriel, former Bears Director of College Scouting and evaluator with the Giants and Bills

“(Former Bears GM) Jerry Angelo. He has been a great mentor for myself and a host of other GMs. We all learned our evaluation chops from Jerry. He helped build the Cowboys of the late 70s and early 80s, the Giants of the early 80s, the Bucs of the late 90s and early 2000s and the Bears of the mid 2000s. All these teams went to Super Bowls. People don’t realize this about Jerry Angelo because he does not toot his own horn. He is as good and humble a man as you’ll ever meet. He is also as talented an evaluator as anyone in this profession has ever been.” — Tim Ruskell, former Seahawks GM and evaluator with the Bucs, Bears, Falcons and Titans

“Best for me was Russ Bolinger, longtime NFL scout (Jaguars, Lions, Redskins, Rams and Falcons). I was with him in St. Louis and Atlanta. He was detailed, had great contacts, not afraid to go with his instincts, held his convictions on a player, yet was never dogmatic. On top of that, Boli was NEVER dull!” — Billy Devaney, former Rams GM and evaluator with the Falcons, Niners and Chargers 

“Easy. Hall of Famer (and former Steelers executive) Bill Nunn because he knew how to investigate things not seen on tape, at a game or a particular workout that help clarify a guy’s ability. Shoe size (OL and DL base), can he dance? (DB’s hips), was he a basketball player? (overall athletic ability), did he play baseball? (WR and DB’s ball skills) and long or triple jump (explosion).” — Doug Whaley, former Bills GM and Steelers executive Doug Whaley 

“(Former Redskins and Chargers GM) Bobby Beathard had a good eye. (Former Bucs, Redskins and Texans scout) George Saimes was quirky and could spot a diamond. And (former Colts scout) Don Joyce had a nuanced good eye. — Former Browns, Redskins and Panthers executive Joe Mack

For more on the best scouts in the game, check out the Friday Wrap at 7:30 p.m. ET tomorrow.

Ask the Agent: Rumblings from Inside the 2021 NFLPA Seminar

04 Wednesday Aug 2021

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Hundreds of people who used our exam prep materials are slogging through Day 2 of the NFLPA’s pre-exam seminar. They’ve had lots of thought about what they’ve seen and heard during this year’s first-ever online-only sessions. Here are a few of their texts and my commentary.

  • “Some of these questions are ridiculous. Like they have never even opened the CBA before. I mean holy (bleep), just wasting my time.” It never ceases to amaze me how many people come to the exam almost completely unprepared. Because it’s open book and multiple choice and the results are scaled, some of these people will slide through, but just barely. Is that how you want to launch your agent career? The NFLPA does a good job of presenting a difficult exam. If you’re planning on taking it some day, make sure you prepare.

  • “They are asking about what a family will receive on death of a player. That will not be on the exam.” Correct. See above. 
     

  • “They go at warp speed. If you came into this expecting to be taught what you need to know, you’re in big trouble.” Also: “Honestly – I would be lost trying to learn it now during class. They go sooooo fast.” The CBA is 700 pages. Yes, there’s fluff, but there’s a lot of meat, too. NFLPA officials do the best they can. The people who winged it will probably be back next year (did I mention that we sell a study guide?). I guess at least those who fail don’t have to shell out to fly to DC twice?

  • “Some people are fishing too deep and I tried to block them out. . .  The NFLPA was nice as well, they seemed to be trying to help us. Telling us what’s important and what to focus on. I feel good heading into day 2.” I think a lot of people — even those who have studied hard — panic until they get into the seminar and NFLPA officials narrow down the scope of things. At the same time, some of the out-of-left-field questions not only bugged those who are mostly prepared for the exam, but actually confused them. A cleanup of the question-and-answer process is probably something the PA will have to work on before next year, presuming they stay with the online format.

  • “I want you to know how awesome you’ve been and how helpful the study guide and practice exams have been. This is the first exam since I think high school where I felt super prepared. Thank you!” Sorry if this is a little self-serving, but we’re proud of the service we provide, and it’s incredibly rewarding to get unsolicited comments like this one.

We’ll be discussing the exam more in detail in this week’s Friday Wrap, which is free. Register here. Hope you can join us.

 

2021 The State of Football’s ITL Takeover: Highlights from Mon/Tues/Weds

30 Friday Jul 2021

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As you may know, Ric Serritella hosts a daily show on the business of the game called The State of Football on Sports Illustrated’s Twitch channel. Well, except for July. He took this month off, which gave my friend Bo Marchionte and myself a chance to co-host this week.

We had an incredible lineup of guest this week and they each had incredible contributions. Here are some of the highlights from the first three days of this week’s shows.

MONDAY

NEC Assistant Commissioner Ralph Ventre on the lack of national leadership on NIL: “I’m not a huge fan, on a personal level, of a huge central government, but in this case I actually think the federal government could do us all a favor if they passed some kind of national legislation for NIL.” 

Evan Brennan of UA Sports on parents’ expectations regarding NIL and how lucrative it could be. “It probably coalesces with how many agents are talking to them. The more agents that are blowing them up and making giant promises, the more ridiculous they get, but if they haven’t been (popular with agents), they’re actually quite reasonable.”

Nick Underhill of New Orleans Football on an offseason change one of the Saints’ QBs made: “For Taysom’s part, he thinks (his tendency to hold the football too long) was something mechanical with his feet. He didn’t have his feet pointed the right way, and then it would take an extra hitch to get set up to throw the ball, once he saw it, so that’s what he’s been working on this offseason.” 

TUESDAY

Vanguard Sports Group’s Eugene Lee on the firm’s cautious approach to NIL generally and to their first NIL client, Texas A&M’s Jalen Wydermyer, specifically: “We’re being very cognizant not to give away long-term leverage on deals. We’re being very careful not to dilute a player’s brand. We don’t want players to be billboards.” 

Former NFL offensive lineman and prospective NFL agent Jeremiah Sirles on why people who played his position are different (in a good way): “As a former offensive lineman, we’re all kinda similar. I’ve said it for a long time: you can pick up an offensive lineman from pretty much any team and plug them into an o-line room and they’re probably going to, eventually, like, within the first five days, fit in.” 

Former NFL executive Blake Beddingfield on NFL vaccination protocols: “I know of people who can’t take vaccines because it harms them physically. The NFL needs to be able to hear that and take each individual situation on its own merit. . . You’re separating the players and the league even more than it has to be.”

WEDNESDAY

Octagon Football’s Murphy McGuire on taking the NFLPA exam in 2015, when it got tremendously harder: “When I went in there, I was like, ‘this is a little more difficult than they said it was gonna be.’ Little did we know that they changed the format for that year and our pass rate was like . . . wasn’t that the lowest pass rate it’s ever been, because nobody knew it was coming? It was like 40 percent or something. It was crazy.”

Former NFL executive Randy Mueller on how he headed off Michael Thomas situations during his days as a GM: “It’s a vital part of being a GM and running a franchise . . .  One of my first meetings is always, when one season ends, I want to sit down with the medical people, first and foremost, and assess our whole roster and come up with pros and cons and come up with a plan for each guy because injuries are a giant factor with every player on your team, and they’re a giant factor with team-building, itself.”

Catapult Leadership’s Jason Montanez on the biggest mistake people make when interviewing for NFL, college, or any other job: “I think the most common mistake that people make is they don’t prepare enough. They don’t really get to know the job that they’re going for. I think you need to put in a substantial amount of research to get to know the job, to get to know who you’re interviewing with, who the hiring manager is, and really get a sense of what the job entails that you’re interviewing for.”

To check out the best of Thursday’s and Friday’s shows, check out the Friday Wrap, which comes out at 7:30 p.m. ET. Register for it here.

The State of Football: What’s Ahead Next Week During the ITL Takeover

22 Thursday Jul 2021

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You might have caught me on Ric Serritella’s daily morning show, The State of Football (TSOF), on my regular Thursday morning segment (9:40 a.m. ET). If you enjoy them, or find them at all informative, you may be interested in watching all week starting Monday.

Next week, Inside the League takes over TSOF. I’ll host each show along with my co-host, Bo Marchionte of College2Pro.com. Bo is not only a talented journalist, a CFL scout (Winnipeg Blue Bombers) and a serial podcaster, but he’s also one of the funniest people I know, which is why I was really excited when he agreed to join me this week. 

We’ve brought together 15 awesome guests this week, and they will all bring something different to the table. Will the TSOF be a football show this week? Of course it will, but it’s not going to be your standard debate show about who’s the greatest QB of all, whether or not Aaron Rodgers will report to camp, or which team will win the Super Bowl this year.

Of course, we’ll talk about the game in a fun way.

  • Former Titans executive Blake Beddingfield will talk about which teams he expects to be contenders for the Super Bowl, the rookies he expects to make the biggest impact, and the trends in the game that no one is discussing.
  • Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football will talk about the Winston vs. Hill battle, how the Saints will juggle the various pending free agents in their secondary, whether OT Terron Armstead will be back in 2022 and other topics related to the Who Dats.
  • Longtime NFL executive and three-time former GM Randy Mueller will also give his unique take on the game, similar to what he discusses in his blog.
  • Neal McCready of RebelGrove.com will talk about what an SEC lineup with the two best teams from the Big 12 would look like and lots of other good stuff. 

Want to discuss agent life and the issues facing player representatives? Got you covered.

  • Four of the NFLPA-licensed contract advisors that I respect the most in the business — Evan Brennan of UA Sports, Eugene Lee of Vanguard Sports Group, Murphy McGuire of Octagon Football and Aston Wilson of Agency1 Sports Group — will give their takes on how the transfer portal, Covid and NIL have affected their profession.
  • In addition, guests this week include two former agents, wealth manager Noel Lamontagne, a former NFL offensive lineman and one of the smartest people I know in football; and Mike Sullivan, the winner of the 2021 Eugene Parker Award for distinguished service to the agent industry and a former “super agent” as well as NFL executive.
  • We’ll also talk to aspiring agents Don Williams and Jeremiah Sirles (the former NFL lineman and current member of the Huskers broadcast team), who are taking the NFL agent exam in August. 

But there’s even more. Ole Miss GM Matt Lindsay, a former NFL scout, will talk about how college football offices are changing and where recruiting and personnel are going. And for good measure, on Wednesday, we’ll have Jason Montanez of Catapult Leadership. A former University of Buffalo fullback, he’ll give tips on how to interview and how to build a network that will help you get the job you want.

For the full day-by-day schedule with all time slots, check out last week’s Friday Wrap. Please join us! I’ll see you here at 9 a.m. ET Monday.

NIL at Two Weeks Old: Where Do We Stand?

15 Thursday Jul 2021

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It’s now been two weeks since name, image and likeness (NIL) became something college athletes could benefit from financially. Though we don’t follow NIL in a comprehensive way, we do watch it pretty carefully as it relates to football. We’ve had notes about NIL signings in our Rep Rumblings reports, and we’ve got the deals, partnerships and endorsers for almost 200 plays in our NIL Grid, which we try to update multiple times weekly.

Here are a few initial thoughts.

  • Agents are clearly using NIL as a gateway to recruiting top players long-term (Steinberg Sports, CAA, Rosenhaus Sports have all signed players to NIL deals). Kudos to the NFLPA for making it crystal clear that contract advisors can get involved in these deals; very often, the NFLPA chooses to stay out of the big issues, which does nothing to help make things clearer and easier to understand.
  • Major sports entities (Barstool Sports, Outkick the Coverage, others) are trying to sign masses of unknown players on merch-only deals; local restaurants are doing the same, trading food for social media hits. It’s a fairly cost-effective way to get into the game without a major commitment while the market sorts itself out.
  • Of course, it’s also worth noting that these relationships are not necessarily forever. About 10 percent of active NFL players fire their agents annually, so it’s logical to presume the same will take place on the NIL side. Right now, many of these players eagerly signed exclusive-rights deals with companies expecting a financial bonanza, but if that’s not in the cards, will they look elsewhere? It seems like a good bet.
  • Schools’ boosters have clearly started using this a legal recruiting tool (Miami, Fla., and Oregon boosters, for instance, have made big moves to enhance their programs with the help of boosters).
  • Also, schools are clearly already using NIL in recruiting (dozens of incoming high-schoolers are already on Cameo and other platforms).
  • Major combine trainers are expressing concern that players will require concessions in costs if they market that the players are working out there. Putting players’ likenesses on social media has always been a major thrust of top training facilities. Nothing attracts tomorrow’s stars like today’s stars.

There have been three main eras dictated by two inflection points in the agent industry in the 20 years since ITL has been around. The eras, as I see it, were the Age of Big Negotiators; the Age of Big Recruiting; and whatever this one turns out to be.

The transition from the first to second era took place with the passage of the 2011 CBA, which dumped the big signing bonuses and led to big fee reductions and big training-plus packages, all as an inducement to sign players that would get to second deals. Now that we’re in the Era of NIL, I’m not smart enough to know where things are going, but I do feel smart enough to know the ground is moving quickly under everyone’s feet.

If these topics and this kind of analysis interests you, make sure you register for our weekly newsletter for the industry, the Friday Wrap. Do that here.

Ask the Scout: How Will NIL Affect Player Evaluation?

08 Thursday Jul 2021

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Name, image and likeness has been in the news virtually since a week before July 1, when college players could preserve their eligibility while signing marketing and endorsement deals. However, while we’ve discussed the topic from a player standpoint and even passed along a top tax expert’s thoughts on how to prepare for NIL, we haven’t looked at it from a scout’s perspective until today.

We asked several director-level executives to take time out from their vacations to answer this question: “Do you see the NIL issue becoming part of your background sweep? Will you be asking if players have deals, and how they handled them? Will you ask schools if their NIL stuff has become a problem?”

Here were their responses:

  • “Big picture, it’s not positive or negative. I’m all for the players’ ability to make money off their name, their likeness, their image, but in reality, it’s gonna change the landscape of college football. As many things happen, it will shape and shift things differently. I don’t think any of us know how. . . Everything is just data to us. In the end, hopefully, you have the full puzzle.”
  • “For us, I don’t think it’ll be more than another point of character background to follow up on. How did the kid handle it . . . work with school, agent, company, all parties involved etc. There’s NO doubt this will be a headache for schools, compliance (helping kids understand tax ramifications and such). Could even cause issues among teammates vying for same deals? It’ll take some time to settle into.”
  • “Absolutely will be asking, but not in a punitive way. More to add another piece of the puzzle that we haven’t been able to assess before. If a player handles it well, (if) his NIL deals don’t hinder performance or being a good teammate, that would speak to a degree of maturity that we haven’t been able to evaluate.”
  • “Absolutely. It’s a part of who they are now. It will give you a bit of a tell on how they handle money, off-field stuff, can they juggle that while maintaining their ability as a football player, etc. There will absolutely be cautionary tales.”
  • “I definitely think there are questions to ask from it. I think asking about how it was handled as well as doing some further digging can tell you a little about the player.   I think in most cases the player will say it was never a problem, so there may need to be some digging. . . On a side note, I think this will further the talent gap between the top and bottom schools as those with a huge alumni base will basically pay more and more players to play at the bigger schools.”

That’s not all they said. We have more responses from college directors and national scouts in this week’s Friday Wrap, which comes out (duh) Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET. It’s jam-packed every week with news of the football business world that you can’t find anywhere else. You can register for it here.

Ask the Agent: Six Questions for the 2021 Class

02 Friday Jul 2021

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Years ago, when we first launched our exam prep materials 10 years ago, I used to spend hours talking to clients who were eagerly awaiting the exam and the promise of an exciting new professional path. I heard lots of interesting stories and talked to lots of would-be agents who have gone on to be some of the biggest names in player representation.

These days, that’s a little harder, and the responsibilities of ITL make it tougher to maintain that personal contact. Still, I want to learn what makes the people diving into such a competitive industry tick, so this year, I set up a brief, six-question survey. I sent it out to almost 200 people who’ll be taking the test next month, and got plenty of responses. I thought I’d share the questions and their answers here to give some insights into the 2021 NFLPA Contract Advisor class.

How sure are you that you will be taking the exam in August?: This question had eye-opening results. With about a month until the 2021 exam — an exam, I might add, that has been two years in the making — we found just a handful of test-takers who have actually booked their test slot (the class is so big the test will be administered in phases this year). Seventy-five percent of poll respondents expressed doubt that they are even approved for the exam. About a third said they are 50-50 on whether or not they are slated to take the exam. This is not good.

How far along are you on preparing for the exam?: A plurality of respondents (36 percent) said they’ve been studying for about a month. That’s right on track with our recommended 60 days (minimum) needed to prepare for the test. A quarter of those polled said they’ve been studying for several months, and just a few more (27 percent) said they’ve been prepping for more than a year. Again, it’s no surprise given how many registrants were expecting to take the test last summer. Of course, there are still procrastinators; 11 percent of respondents have yet to begin.

How confident do you feel about taking the exam?: I asked this question hoping that the hundreds of applicants who’ve received our Rising Contract Advisors Newsletter were optimistic about passing the exam. Whether or not that’s a factor, over half (55 percent) said “If I prepare adequately, I like my chances.” That’s encouraging from a group of people using our exam prep materials. Even more encouraging: 30 percent said they’d be “shocked” if they didn’t pass. Just 13 percent said they “hope to pass.”

Our survey group had a lot more to say about the industry and their chances to succeed in it, their level of commitment, and their concerns regarding the mounting cost of being an agent. We discuss their responses to three more poll questions in the Friday Wrap, which comes out tomorrow at its usual time (7:30 p.m. CT). Register for it here.

 

Ask the Agent: What Are Players Saying About NIL?

25 Friday Jun 2021

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The name, image and likeness (NIL) issue has been prominent in the news this week given the Supreme Court decision Monday and the pending July 1 deadline when players can begin profiting from marketing themselves. If it’s on the minds of football fans, I knew it would be on the minds of draft prospects. . . or, at least, that’s what I thought. But I wanted to find out for sure, so I asked several of my agent clients. 

Here’s what I asked: What are you hearing from players you recruit re: NIL? Does it come up in conversation? Are they asking what you can do for them in that area?

Here are some of the responses. By the way, I reached out to about 20 contract advisors and only got two who said the players they are recruiting hadn’t asked about it, or who dismissed the issue entirely.

  • “Not as prominent as I anticipated it would be. I believe kids are being educated and are wary of signing a marketing deal with a single agent, which I believe is the intelligent thing to do. Don’t sell yourself for pennies on the dollar with an agent/agency that you have a limited relationship with.”
  • “(No one has mentioned it) yet, but it’s coming. I think it’ll be a huge tool to use for agencies with the means to do it. But will definitely have to be done right. It could be a huge problem.”

  • “Yes (from kids) and from parents. They just ask, ‘what does it mean? What’s in it for them? How do they deal with it?’ . . . My expectation is anyone doing this the right way it’s not going to be much of an impact, but those who aren’t doing things the right way, this just gives them more options.”

  • “(It’s) in every conversation. They’re getting bombarded with it. All think they have paydays coming . . . I can tell they’re being sold by agents that they have deals for them now. Reality is, this will only benefit a handful of elite college football players — the QBs, skill players, local heroes, or those that have built themselves a legitimate social following/community or content platform.”

  • “We are getting questions on how it will work from most players — but more specifics from skill guys.”

  • “Always comes up. We are ready (when they do). . . most players . . . are still super cautious, no matter the caliber. I think nobody wants to be the guinea pig, but they know it’s gonna be a snowball effect.” 

As you know, a couple weeks ago, we asked Twitter which job was harder, agent or scout? The results were overwhelming that a scout’s job is harder, which made me realize that, in many cases, even the closest followers of the business side of the game are still glamorizing the life of an NFL contract advisor. Hopefully, reading some of these responses and recognizing the financial challenges that player representatives face might help change perceptions. 

Want even more? Make sure to sign up for our Friday Wrap. In this week’s episode, we’ll be looking even closer at the NIL issue as it relates to player representation, plus we’ll check out the latest from the scouting world and more.