Veteran NFL agent Leigh Steinberg has signed Univ. of Memphis QB Paxton Lynch, a potential No. 1 NFL draft pick, for representation on and off the field. It is the first major signing for Steinberg since he relaunched his NFL player representation firm, Steinberg Sports & Entertainment, in '13. Lynch will be co-represented by SSE COO Chris Cabott. Steinberg said, "Paxton fits the definition of a franchise quarterback who likely will be taken by a team in the very first part of the first round. He has size, accuracy, the ability to move out of the pocket and throw on the run" (Liz Mullen, Staff Writer). In Houston, Aaron Wilson noted Steinberg and Cabott are "working in tandem to guide Lynch and his family into the NFL." Houston has "become like a second home for Steinberg," as he has operated "with the financial backing" of Apex Steel Pipe & Piling Owner Scott Irwin and TRE Financial Services CEO Andy Priest. Steinberg said, "We got funded in November of 2014, so it’s just been two years and they’ve put a lot of faith in us to sign football players. They funded us and one of their charges was to sign football players." He added, "We have a different model when it comes to representing players. We represent the whole person. We take a stance on issues like concussion. I don’t want to enrich the bank accounts of clients who wind up with dementia. I’ve been campaigning on the issues of concussions for over 25 years." Steinberg also is representing Cal RB Dan Lasco (CHRON.com, 1/1). The MMQB's Peter King writes Steinberg has been "part of so many good stories in his career, and now has the chance to write another good one: his own" (MMQB.SI.com, 1/4).
HOW HE LANDED THE BIG FISH: Steinberg talked about landing Lynch as a client, saying there was "very little contact with him" personally. Steinberg said, "It was constantly done though the family, because the whole point was to let him focus on school and the rest of it. So, actually, David (Paxton’s father) called me in October of 2014 because he just wanted to pick up information. ... Then we met several times with the parents. And then I came to the Mississippi game, which was all you sort of needed to see." Steinberg added he met with Lynch last summer "just for an hour and a half, and I loved him." Steinberg: "Our practice is all about role-modeling. Go back to the high school, set up a scholarship fund, do something at the college, and then have a foundation at the pro level where you try to make an impact and a difference. He was excited about all that. The parents were great. It’s a family, so the values meshed" (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 1/1).
