Andrew Smith, a sports and labor attorney who has represented 56 pro athletes -- including NFL players -- in legal matters, became the latest candidate to publicly declare he is running for the NFLPA Exec Dir position. Smith, founder and owner of Philadelphia-based law firm Smithbridge, LLP, joins former NFLer Sean Gilbert, Michigan attorney Jim Acho and former Navy Admiral and NFLer John Stufflebeem in challenging sitting NFLPA Exec Dir DeMaurice Smith in an election to be held in Hawaii next month. In order to be on the ballot, candidates must have the written endorsements of three NFLPA team player reps. Andrew Smith told on Thursday said he currently has two written endorsements. In recent years, Smith has represented NFL players and other athletes in suing former financial adviser Billy Crafton. He won an $8.6M verdict against SunTrust Bank, which formerly employed Crafton, on behalf of five athletes, including three NFLers. Smith said yesterday that he wants to work on behalf of all NFL players. "I intend to focus my time on using the CBA as a tool for the players," Smith said. He added that he will investigate whether players are getting their fair share revenue under the CBA, including auditing the league's revenue streams. "I would surmise, based on my review of the collective bargaining agreement and my understanding of the revenue streams, that the salary cap is not commensurate with the collective bargaining agreement or the growth of the NFL or the growth of the TV contracts," Andrew Smith said. Gilbert is running on a campaign of overturning the CBA by filing a collusion case and on expanding the regular season from 16 to 18 games. Smith said, "To the extent there is any collusion, we are going to fully investigate it and make a determination as to the probability of success." As to expanding the regular season, Smith said he would commission reports on both the financial impacts and the health impacts on NFL players and their bodies of a longer season. Then, Smith said, he would have every player in the NFL, not just player leadership, vote on whether the union should negotiate to expand the season.
