Veteran agent Brad Blank represents a little more than a dozen NFL players, but two of them, New York Jets left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Baltimore Ravens defensive end Chris Canty, are among the 32 players who will choose the next executive director of the NFL Players Association.
In the last few weeks, Blank has heard from candidates and would-be candidates for the NFLPA’s top executive post. “They want me to put my clients in touch with them,” Blank said.
Blank said he has relayed the information to his clients, but that is it.
“They are really smart, independent guys,” Blank said. “I never tried to sway them. I wouldn’t because, honestly, they are too smart and too independent.”
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Eric Reid and D’Brickashaw Ferguson are among the reps assigned to elect a new union head.
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES (2) |
NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith will face at least six challengers in the election, which will be held Sunday night. Challengers must be nominated by three team representatives to have their names placed on the ballot. Candidates’ nominators are not made public.
Whoever is elected must get a majority of the player rep votes, or at least 17 of the 32. The 32 player reps are represented by 21 agencies (see chart). Seven agencies represent multiple player representatives. (Blank’s client Canty was cut by the Ravens on Feb. 27, but he and two other recently cut reps remain their teams’ representatives for the election.)
Relativity Sports has the most player reps with five, after agent Ben Dogra joined the agency earlier this year as Relativity Football co-CEO. Dogra represents recently released Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman Justin Blalock, Philadelphia Eagles linebacker DeMeco Ryans and San Francisco 49ers safety Eric Reid. Dogra also co-represents Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman with his former partner, CAA Sports’ Jimmy Sexton. Additionally, Relativity Sports’ Todd Sermersheim represents Indianapolis Colts tight end Dwayne Allen, who became a client of the agency in December.
Although the lead player reps have both the authority to nominate candidates and to vote, each club has at least two or three alternate player representatives, and all are invited to the election.
The alternates can play an active role in the proceedings. In 2009, Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Ware and tight end Jason Witten were alternate player reps when the lead rep, defensive end Greg Ellis, could not make the meeting. Ware said in 2009 that he and Witten would get together and decide jointly for whom to cast their vote after hearing the presentations. Witten, who is represented by CAA Sports’ Sexton, is now the lead player representative for Dallas.
About 70 player reps and alternates attended and participated in the 2009 election. It is not clear how many will attend this year’s vote.
As players gather in Maui this weekend, there is bound to be speculation about what role their agents will play in electing the next executive director of the NFLPA.
In 2009, players in the room were texting with their agents. Privately, some in the agent community have speculated that certain powerful agents may have had a role in influencing their player reps to vote for a certain candidate. Publicly, however, no one has claimed that.
One agent interviewed for this story noted that whoever is elected “affects us, obviously,” but this agent did not want to be identified as someone whose words could be viewed as potentially affecting the election.
Both publicly and privately, agents agree on one thing. Of all the players on a club’s 53-man roster, the player representative is one of the least likely to be influenced by his agent — or anyone else.
“The guys who are your reps are your leaders in the locker room,” said agent Ralph Cindrich, who represents offensive tackle Zach Strief, the player rep for the Saints. “It’s a big responsibility, and they should be stand-up guys. They are usually independent and the influence of their vote will come from their team.”
