Confessions of a Former NFL Agent

[SmootSmack]

Who knew Tony Banks was the 1st QB taken in the draft?

Good read

Confessions of former NFL agent Josh Luchs - SI.com - Magazine

[MTK]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Who knew Tony Banks was the 1st QB taken in the draft?

Good read

Confessions of former NFL agent Josh Luchs - SI.com - Magazine

Good article. That guy should write a book.

Interesting that Leaf paid him back, didn't see that coming.

[rbanerjee23]

Wow, great read...it's sad that this is what football has become.

[mooby]

Definitely an excellent read, and it shed a lot of insight into the agent's world. The NCAA does need to do something about agent/player interactions like giving them money or other extras though. The fact that some of these guys don't get enough to pay their rent or buy food from their scholarship money says a lot about why they go to agents to get money. I can't blame them for trying to get money if they don't receive enough funds from a scholarship. It's sad that the NCAA makes billions of dollars a year yet can't give athletes enough money to attend school, rent a room, or buy food.

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by mooby

Definitely an excellent read, and it shed a lot of insight into the agent's world. The NCAA does need to do something about agent/player interactions like giving them money or other extras though. The fact that some of these guys don't get enough to pay their rent or buy food from their scholarship money says a lot about why they go to agents to get money. I can't blame them for trying to get money if they don't receive enough funds from a scholarship. It's sad that the NCAA makes billions of dollars a year yet can't give athletes enough money to attend school, rent a room, or buy food.

Students making straight A's don't get these scholarships and they don't have pimps to turn too. Last time I check most colleges have dorms and serve food. I don't feel sorry for them because I'm sure of they went to the coach and said I'm out of money and hungry they would get a warm meal. Lets stop making excuses for these guys.

[Stacks42]

Ryan Leaf was his most famous (almost) client? It seems he is leaving out some pretty high profile names.

[mooby]

Originally Posted by firstdown

Students making straight A's don't get these scholarships and they don't have pimps to turn too. Last time I check most colleges have dorms and serve food. I don't feel sorry for them because I'm sure of they went to the coach and said I'm out of money and hungry they would get a warm meal. Lets stop making excuses for these guys.

Are you sure about that? I just read a story about a coach in high school that got fired for taking her players out to kareoke and letting them spend the night at her house. If a coach in high school can get fired for letting players spend the night at their house, what makes you so sure the NCAA can't do the same?

And for the record scholarships are handed out for things besides athletics. Kids who go to college and don't play sports have their opportunities to get scholarships and grants as well. Did you ever stop and think about that?

[MTK]

Originally Posted by mooby

Definitely an excellent read, and it shed a lot of insight into the agent's world. The NCAA does need to do something about agent/player interactions like giving them money or other extras though. The fact that some of these guys don't get enough to pay their rent or buy food from their scholarship money says a lot about why they go to agents to get money. I can't blame them for trying to get money if they don't receive enough funds from a scholarship. It's sad that the NCAA makes billions of dollars a year yet can't give athletes enough money to attend school, rent a room, or buy food.

With all the $$ the schools make off these kids, they should at least receive some sort of stipend. With school and ball they don't have much time left over for a job, so that's why you end up with agents giving them money, cars, meals, etc.

[mooby]

Originally Posted by firstdown

Students making straight A's don't get these scholarships and they don't have pimps to turn too. Last time I check most colleges have dorms and serve food. I don't feel sorry for them because I'm sure of they went to the coach and said I'm out of money and hungry they would get a warm meal. Lets stop making excuses for these guys.

Seriously though what's with the attitude? It reeks of jealousy. If you were coming out of high school and you got a scholarship to play football at a D1 school but you never had enough money to pay your rent or buy food I'm pretty damn sure you'd have an entirely different outlook on these kids. You do realize these kids sacrifice their entire bodies in the hopes one day they will be able to make plenty of money in the NFL, all without making a dime off the NCAA's huge profit, right?

[mooby]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

With all the $$ the schools make off these kids, they should at least receive some sort of stipend. With school and ball they don't have much time left over for a job, so that's why you end up with agents giving them money, cars, meals, etc.

That's exactly what I'm saying. I'm not saying make these kids millionaires in college, but they should at least receive enough money to not have to worry about food and board while their schools make huge profits off their athletic exploits.

[FRPLG]

And the NCAA thinks it can control this stuff. Why they even try is beyond me.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by firstdown

Students making straight A's don't get these scholarships and they don't have pimps to turn too. Last time I check most colleges have dorms and serve food. I don't feel sorry for them because I'm sure of they went to the coach and said I'm out of money and hungry they would get a warm meal. Lets stop making excuses for these guys.

Actually that would be a violation by NCAA rules.

Edit:
Man you just have no concept of what it is like to be one of these guys. Imagine you come from a poor neighborhood, single mom, she has no job, 4 brothers and sisters, the roof leaks, people get shot every other day in the neighborhood and your playing football for a BCS school and will probably get drafted in two years. You're basically on hold for a major payday that can fix all that crap for your family. And you're supposed to trun down easy money? It'll never happen. Once those guys start taking the money then all the other ones who don't need it as much take it. I feel sorry they have to work for free while their schools fund their entire athletic deaprtment off their backs and the NCAA turns a blind eye to the needs of the students it purports to protect.

[skinsfaninok]

Great Read, It's funny because I live in a Big College city and know current NFL Stars that played here and most of those players were " taking care of " if you know what I mean..

It happens at every big time program

[freddyg12]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

With all the $$ the schools make off these kids, they should at least receive some sort of stipend. With school and ball they don't have much time left over for a job, so that's why you end up with agents giving them money, cars, meals, etc.

That's very debatable. Most economists that have researched Div. 1 college athletics conclude that most schools don't make a profit off football & basketball. The consistently successful schools do, but for every one of them there are 10-20 schools that invested millions in capital improvements such as stadiums & they're still waiting to get out of the red.

In addition, revenue generating sports pay for non-revenue sports & title 9 requires schools to fund women's sports equitably, most if not all of which don't generate revenue.

The system is defnitely flawed, but paying the kids, even a small stipend, would really be an ethical challenge & regulatory nightmare IMO. How would such a stipend be regulated? One of the problems w/college athletics is each school tries to keep up w/the jones.' It's not enough to have a huge state of the art stadium, big programs have indoor practice facilities, new gyms & a/v equipment, etc. I can imagine how some schools would find a way to circumvent ncaa rules to pay players more than what their stipend allowed.

[MTK]

Well they're going to get paid either way. You can try to regulate it and do it legally, or you have what's going on now.