General Sports Worldwide has hired Michael Huyghue, former NFL agent, team exec and commissioner of the now-defunct United Football League, to establish an NFL player representation practice, among other things. Huyghue, who most recently ran his own consulting business -- Michael Huyghue & Associates -- and is a visiting professor at Cornell Law School, will join as GS Worldwide Managing Dir of North America. He will be involved in growing a consulting business, as well as an NFL talent practice. GS Worldwide may buy an NFL agency or make strategic hires of one or two NFL agents, according to Huyghue, a two-time SBJ "Forty Under 40" winner. "The goal is to have representation under the umbrella of what General Sports does," he said. "And having been in the business on every side of that -- the players association, the management council, the front office -- I have a good sense of what those dynamics are." Huyghue worked for the NFLPA, NFL Management Council, the Lions, Jaguars and had his own agency, Axcess Sports & Entertainment. "I may eventually get (NFLPA-)certified too, I don't know, but that is not my main focus," he said. GS Worldwide was launched last year by veteran sports industry entrepreneur Andy Appleby, and acquired U.K.-based agency 366 Group. GS Worldwide now represents 110 athletes, mostly English soccer players, but also cricket players, an F1 driver and Olympic athletes representing the U.K. Appleby and Huyghue have a longstanding friendship. Appleby said that Huyghue will have equity in the company, and may help guide it into representing golfers, but the main focus is representing NFL players. "We would expect, by this time next year, we may have as many as 10 to 15 players on that side," Appleby said.
