Veteran NFL agent Thomas Kleine, agent to players including Kansas City Chiefs center Rodney Hudson, has left JL Sports and launched his own agency.
Shoreline Sports Management, Kleine’s new agency, will be based in Madison, Conn., about 15 miles from Joe Linta’s JL Sports in Branford, Conn., where Kleine worked for 12 years.
“I can tell you Joe and I are no longer together and I have started my own firm,” Kleine said in a brief telephone interview last week.
Linta, in an email, said, “Tom Kleine was terminated as of 6 months ago.” He had no further comment on Kleine.
Asked to comment on that, Kleine said in an email: “Joe Linta and I enjoyed a business collaboration that spanned over a decade; it was simply time to move in different directions. My last title at the company was Vice President.”
In addition to Hudson, who will become a free agent this year unless he is franchise-tagged by the Chiefs, Kleine also represents Arizona Cardinals guard Antoine McClain, San Francisco 49ers guard Brandon Thomas, Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Chris Hairston, San Diego Chargers linebacker Kavell Conner and New York Giants cornerback Mike Harris.
Kleine has been certified by the NFL Players Association to represent players in contract work with clubs since 2004, but he also has served in the past as a marketing agent to JL Sports clients, including Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, a Linta client.
Although Linta had no further comment on Kleine, he said, “We are excited with our new class of players,” which the agency signed for the NFL draft.
Those players include Alabama offensive tackle Austin Shepherd, LSU fullback Connor Neighbors and Yale running back Tyler Varga.
