For the longest time when I thought about becoming a sports agent, I think of the movie Jerry Maguire and the classic line of "Show me the money." I thought about just signing my client to a deal and how easy it will be get players to the prestigious leagues. Then I talked to Corey Oliver, a current sports agent and he explained to toss that movie out of my head and really started to teach me what it entails to be an agent.
Among the most important deals handled by agents are the contract negotiations that bind the player to a certain team and the endorsement agreements that turn athletes into superstars. Larger sports agencies, such as the powerhouse SFX Sports Group, provide additional services for athletes, such as financial planning, the organization of charitable pursuits and the coordination of personal appearances.
The career track of sports agents is almost as varied as the people filling those jobs. A more conventional route for many player reps has been to study sports management in college. Such programs are available at a number of post-secondary institutions, including schools with well-known, high-budget athletic programs. Other than arming yourself with an education in sports management, getting into the industry is often a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Corey advised me to take a look at David Canter. I found a great article on him by Askmen.com. David Canter, who represents star running back Stephen Davis, went to law school following his undergraduate studies in sports management, but only started work as an agent after a chance meeting on the side of the road. In 1995, Canter was at a gas station, changing a signal lamp on his car, when he ran into Miami Dolphin Lamar Thomas. After chatting for a few minutes, Canter got Thomas' cell phone number. Not too long afterward, Canter did some marketing deals for Thomas, who eventually became the first client for Canter's company, Total Entertainer and Athlete Management (TEAAM).
Working as an agent is more of a lifestyle than it is a career. Agents are on call day and night, have no defined work hours and must be ready to jump into action whenever needed.
When Canter sits down to take in a Redskins game, he's not kicking back on the couch with a bag of potato chips and a can of beer; this is all business. After Redskins kicker Michael Husted hooked a field goal attempt, Canter frantically called the cell phone of a friend in the Redskins front office. Instead of getting angry over a missed point, Canter saw the botched field goal as an opportunity to land a tryout for his client Jaret Holmes. Personal time is at a minimum. In this profession, vacations can quickly turn into business trips -- where most of your time on the beach is spent trying to get good reception on your cell phone.
What is amazing about this Corey was telling me how much multi-tasking you have to do with this career. You have to really love what you are doing to really be successful in this industry. To continue doing this at a high level you must compete just as hard as the athletes you represent.
