NFL Agent Howard Shatsky Answered Your Questions Here

SmootSmack · 04-12-2011, 10:01 AM

In the spirit of continuing to bring you fresh interviews from around the league, the Warpath.net Front Office has set up an interview with Howard Shatsky.

Who? You might ask. Shatsky has over 20 years experience as an NFL agent and currently represents potential draft pick Kenrick Ellis (NT-Hampton).

Howard has agreed to answer our questions about what he and his client do to prepare for the draft. How do they prepare? What happens during team visits and pro days?

We've had the scout's perspective and now we're going to bring you the agent's perspective.

So post your questions here for him

(FYI: He's quite busy these days so the answers may take a while to come back)

Lotus · 04-12-2011, 10:48 AM

Cool SS.

Mr. Shatsky, what is it like to negotiate with Bruce Allen? Is he different from other front office negotiators?

dmek25 · 04-12-2011, 10:54 AM

what kind of pie do you like? and about question #3......

JoeRedskin · 04-12-2011, 01:23 PM

How much preparation (and what type) goes into preparing a potential draftee for their team interview? Is there a concern that the interview comes off "canned"? Generallly, does such an interview hurt a potential draftee or is more important to avoid screwing things up at the risk of being seen as performing by rote?

Do you find teams have different priorities on pro days as opposed to the combine? If so, what are they?

As players subject to the draft have little control over who chooses them, is it more important to simply for the player to "do his best" during a pro day or is their some attempt target desired teams? i.e. - Do players occasionally/sometimes/never tailor their pro days to the needs of specific teams in hopes of enhancing their probability of being selected by that team?

skinster · 04-12-2011, 01:41 PM

I'm a bright and motivated college student with no connections to the nfl in any way, but it would be my dream to work in the business. How did you get started in your career? Are there any paths you might recommend?

hagams · 04-12-2011, 05:53 PM

How do you keep a kid that has high first round hopes, but low third round talent calm prior to the draft? I imagine everyone thinks they should go higher in the draft. Do you feed their ego, or do you try to keep them grounded? Thanks.

mlmpetert · 04-12-2011, 06:29 PM

Has he read "The Things We Think and Do Not Say: The Future of Our Business" and if so does he agree with it?

Not sure if he will answear these:
Whats his faviort teams to work with, what are the worst teams to work with. And to go along with that faviort position and least faviort position.

SmootSmack · 04-12-2011, 06:31 PM

I'll ask him what his favorites are, not sure he can answer his faviorts

Chico23231 · 04-12-2011, 09:21 PM

Who is his faviort team?

Who is Ellis recieving the most interest from? Please answer Skins to both, thanks

MTK · 04-13-2011, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlmpetert

Has he read "The Things We Think and Do Not Say: The Future of Our Business" and if so does he agree with it?

Not sure if he will answear these:
Whats his faviort teams to work with, what are the worst teams to work with. And to go along with that faviort position and least faviort position.

booze talkin'?

mlmpetert · 04-13-2011, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mattyk

booze talkin'?

Im actually a worse speller then firstdown, but I usually type up what I want to say in a email or word document and then past it in or if im on Chrome (at home) it automatically catches it for me. This time I thought this was short enough and the words were common enough that I would be good……

But yeah, if it were a little later in the day it would be the booze talkin’

ProFootballMgmt · 04-13-2011, 03:46 PM

OK guys, I will begin answering your questions.

Lotus:

Bruce Allen is a very good friend of mine so I enjoy negotiating with him. As a former agent, Bruce understands what an agent and his client need to get a deal done. Bruce is extremely knowlegeable about personnel and the marketplace and is a tough, buit fair, negotiator. Also, how can you not like a guy whose favorite food is pizza!

dmek25:

Apple, without question is my favorite kind of pie.

skinster:

If you can afford to work for free, internships are a great way to get started in the industry. There are many teams, unions, agents, in this area. I would start reaching out and trying to contact as many people as I could. Also, Georgetown has a great program for sports if you are looking to go to graduate school.

Joe Redskin that is a lot of questions so I will get back to you and the others shortly. Thanks for your questions and for inviting me here.

Howard Shatsky
Professional Football Management
@ProFootballMgmt on Twitter

SmootSmack · 04-13-2011, 03:52 PM

Welcome to the board! Great having you on here.

How do you balance finding the best opportunity for your clients with preparing them (financially/emotionally) with the very real possibility that they won't achieve their NFL dream?

Lotus · 04-13-2011, 04:34 PM

Thank you so much Mr. Shatsky. Welcome aboard!

ProFootballMgmt · 04-13-2011, 08:56 PM

Joe Redskin asks:

How much preparation (and what type) goes into preparing a potential draftee for their team interview? Is there a concern that the interview comes off "canned"? Generallly, does such an interview hurt a potential draftee or is more important to avoid screwing things up at the risk of being seen as performing by rote?

Joe, you have to remember that a typical rookie is a 22 year old kid who has never been on a job interview. So, some things are general interview tips you would give anyone such as look someone in the eye when you answer their question. Also, I want my clients to know something about the people they are going to sit down with. Some agents hire consultants to prepare players. Players also practice the Wunderlich test. The prep is fairly extensive. In terms of coming off canned, you really dont know what questions a particular team/person will ask, so I dont worry much about that. The NFL knows players prepare and they ask questions designed to find out what a person is really about. As with any individual some will come off good in an interview and some wont. In my opinion the higher a player is being considered in the draft, the more important the interview process is.

Joe also asks:

Do you find teams have different priorities on pro days as opposed to the combine? If so, what are they?

What goes on at Pro Day is much different than at the Combine so the purpose of attending is not necessarily the same. The physicals and interviews done at the Combine are an essential part of that process and that stuff does not occur at Pro Day. I would say at th the priority at the Combine is getting to know the prospects a team is interested in while at Pro Day the emphasis is more on the physical workout.

Joe's last question:

As players subject to the draft have little control over who chooses them, is it more important to simply for the player to "do his best" during a pro day or is their some attempt target desired teams? i.e. - Do players occasionally/sometimes/never tailor their pro days to the needs of specific teams in hopes of enhancing their probability of being selected by that team?

In short, players just try to "do their best" in all workouts for an NFL team.

04-12-2011, 10:01 AM	#1
SmootSmack Uncle Phil Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 45,256	NFL Agent Howard Shatsky Answered Your Questions Here In the spirit of continuing to bring you fresh interviews from around the league, the Warpath.net Front Office has set up an interview with Howard Shatsky. Who? You might ask. Shatsky has over 20 years experience as an NFL agent and currently represents potential draft pick Kenrick Ellis (NT-Hampton). Howard has agreed to answer our questions about what he and his client do to prepare for the draft. How do they prepare? What happens during team visits and pro days? We've had the scout's perspective and now we're going to bring you the agent's perspective. So post your questions here for him (FYI: He's quite busy these days so the answers may take a while to come back) __________________ You're So Vain...You Probably Think This Sig Is About You

04-12-2011, 10:48 AM	#2
Lotus Fire Bruce NOW Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Hattiesburg, MS Posts: 11,434	re: NFL Agent Howard Shatsky Answered Your Questions Here Cool SS. Mr. Shatsky, what is it like to negotiate with Bruce Allen? Is he different from other front office negotiators? __________________ Bruce Allen when in charge alone: 4-12 (.250) Bruce Allen's overall Redskins record : 28-52 (.350) Vinny Cerrato's record when in charge alone: 52-65 (.444) Vinny's overall Redskins record: 62-82 (.430) We won more with Vinny

04-12-2011, 01:23 PM	#4
JoeRedskin Contains football related knowledge Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Second Star On The Right Age: 62 Posts: 10,401	re: NFL Agent Howard Shatsky Answered Your Questions Here How much preparation (and what type) goes into preparing a potential draftee for their team interview? Is there a concern that the interview comes off "canned"? Generallly, does such an interview hurt a potential draftee or is more important to avoid screwing things up at the risk of being seen as performing by rote? Do you find teams have different priorities on pro days as opposed to the combine? If so, what are they? As players subject to the draft have little control over who chooses them, is it more important to simply for the player to "do his best" during a pro day or is their some attempt target desired teams? i.e. - Do players occasionally/sometimes/never tailor their pro days to the needs of specific teams in hopes of enhancing their probability of being selected by that team? __________________ Strap it up, hold onto the ball, and let’s go.

04-12-2011, 01:41 PM	#5
skinster Impact Rookie Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 754	re: NFL Agent Howard Shatsky Answered Your Questions Here I'm a bright and motivated college student with no connections to the nfl in any way, but it would be my dream to work in the business. How did you get started in your career? Are there any paths you might recommend?

04-12-2011, 05:53 PM	#6
hagams Impact Rookie Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Beaufort SC Age: 45 Posts: 933	re: NFL Agent Howard Shatsky Answered Your Questions Here How do you keep a kid that has high first round hopes, but low third round talent calm prior to the draft? I imagine everyone thinks they should go higher in the draft. Do you feed their ego, or do you try to keep them grounded? Thanks. __________________ We are always superbowl contenders in March!!! HTTR!!!!!!!!

04-12-2011, 10:54 AM	#3
dmek25 MVP Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: lancaster,pa Age: 63 Posts: 10,672	re: NFL Agent Howard Shatsky Answered Your Questions Here what kind of pie do you like? and about question #3...... __________________ "It's better to be quiet and thought a fool than to open ones mouth and remove all doubt." courtesy of 53fan

04-12-2011, 06:29 PM	#7
mlmpetert Playmaker Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Richmond Posts: 3,261	re: NFL Agent Howard Shatsky Answered Your Questions Here Has he read "The Things We Think and Do Not Say: The Future of Our Business" and if so does he agree with it? Not sure if he will answear these: Whats his faviort teams to work with, what are the worst teams to work with. And to go along with that faviort position and least faviort position. __________________ www.NRABannedGunsRaffle.org

04-12-2011, 06:31 PM	#8
SmootSmack Uncle Phil Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 45,256	re: NFL Agent Howard Shatsky Answered Your Questions Here I'll ask him what his favorites are, not sure he can answer his faviorts __________________ You're So Vain...You Probably Think This Sig Is About You

04-12-2011, 09:21 PM	#9
Chico23231 Warpath Hall of Fame Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 34,611	re: NFL Agent Howard Shatsky Answered Your Questions Here Who is his faviort team? Who is Ellis recieving the most interest from? Please answer Skins to both, thanks __________________ My pronouns: King/Your ruler He Gets Us

04-13-2011, 03:46 PM	#12
ProFootballMgmt Camp Scrub Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 8	re: NFL Agent Howard Shatsky Answered Your Questions Here OK guys, I will begin answering your questions. Lotus: Bruce Allen is a very good friend of mine so I enjoy negotiating with him. As a former agent, Bruce understands what an agent and his client need to get a deal done. Bruce is extremely knowlegeable about personnel and the marketplace and is a tough, buit fair, negotiator. Also, how can you not like a guy whose favorite food is pizza! dmek25: Apple, without question is my favorite kind of pie. skinster: If you can afford to work for free, internships are a great way to get started in the industry. There are many teams, unions, agents, in this area. I would start reaching out and trying to contact as many people as I could. Also, Georgetown has a great program for sports if you are looking to go to graduate school. Joe Redskin that is a lot of questions so I will get back to you and the others shortly. Thanks for your questions and for inviting me here. Howard Shatsky Professional Football Management @ProFootballMgmt on Twitter

04-13-2011, 03:52 PM	#13
SmootSmack Uncle Phil Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 45,256	re: NFL Agent Howard Shatsky Answered Your Questions Here Welcome to the board! Great having you on here. How do you balance finding the best opportunity for your clients with preparing them (financially/emotionally) with the very real possibility that they won't achieve their NFL dream? __________________ You're So Vain...You Probably Think This Sig Is About You

04-13-2011, 04:34 PM	#14
Lotus Fire Bruce NOW Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Hattiesburg, MS Posts: 11,434	re: NFL Agent Howard Shatsky Answered Your Questions Here Thank you so much Mr. Shatsky. Welcome aboard! __________________ Bruce Allen when in charge alone: 4-12 (.250) Bruce Allen's overall Redskins record : 28-52 (.350) Vinny Cerrato's record when in charge alone: 52-65 (.444) Vinny's overall Redskins record: 62-82 (.430) We won more with Vinny

04-13-2011, 08:56 PM	#15
ProFootballMgmt Camp Scrub Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 8	re: NFL Agent Howard Shatsky Answered Your Questions Here Joe Redskin asks: How much preparation (and what type) goes into preparing a potential draftee for their team interview? Is there a concern that the interview comes off "canned"? Generallly, does such an interview hurt a potential draftee or is more important to avoid screwing things up at the risk of being seen as performing by rote? Joe, you have to remember that a typical rookie is a 22 year old kid who has never been on a job interview. So, some things are general interview tips you would give anyone such as look someone in the eye when you answer their question. Also, I want my clients to know something about the people they are going to sit down with. Some agents hire consultants to prepare players. Players also practice the Wunderlich test. The prep is fairly extensive. In terms of coming off canned, you really dont know what questions a particular team/person will ask, so I dont worry much about that. The NFL knows players prepare and they ask questions designed to find out what a person is really about. As with any individual some will come off good in an interview and some wont. In my opinion the higher a player is being considered in the draft, the more important the interview process is. Joe also asks: Do you find teams have different priorities on pro days as opposed to the combine? If so, what are they? What goes on at Pro Day is much different than at the Combine so the purpose of attending is not necessarily the same. The physicals and interviews done at the Combine are an essential part of that process and that stuff does not occur at Pro Day. I would say at th the priority at the Combine is getting to know the prospects a team is interested in while at Pro Day the emphasis is more on the physical workout. Joe's last question: As players subject to the draft have little control over who chooses them, is it more important to simply for the player to "do his best" during a pro day or is their some attempt target desired teams? i.e. - Do players occasionally/sometimes/never tailor their pro days to the needs of specific teams in hopes of enhancing their probability of being selected by that team? In short, players just try to "do their best" in all workouts for an NFL team.

NFL Agent Howard Shatsky Answered Your Questions Here

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