 |
Lil Wayne ventured into the sports business last year.
GETTY IMAGES |
The sports division of rap mogul Lil Wayne’s Young Money has acquired PlayersRep Sports Management, an agency with six NFL agents who represent about 45 players in the league.
Financial terms were not disclosed. PlayersRep was founded in 1999 by NFL agents Andy Simms and Wesley Spencer, but it now will operate under the Young Money APAA banner.
Young Money ventured into the sports business last year by acquiring basketball player representation firm APAA, which is owned by NBA agent Adie von Gontard, who represents Sacramento Kings rookie Frank Mason and Boston Celtics rookie Kadeem Allen.
PlayersRep’s NFL player clients, who are now Young Money APAA clients, include Patriots defensive backs Devin McCourty and Duron Harmon, Eagles Pro Bowl offensive tackle Lane Johnson, Browns defensive back Jason McCourty, Broncos linebacker Todd Davis and Raiders wide receiver Seth Roberts. The other NFL agents from PlayersRep who are joining Young Money APAA are Ken Sarnoff, David Lee, Cody Recchion and Nicole Lynn.
The agents at PlayersRep formed a relationship with Lil Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., last year, when Young Money APAA signed wide receiver Dede Westbrook for marketing and PlayersRep signed him for playing contract work. Westbrook was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft.
“After the draft was over, we sat down and had some talks to see if this [partnership] would be mutually beneficial,” Simms said. Young Money has had success in marketing its entertainment clients, including Drake and Nicki Minaj, and PlayersRep had a proven track record of signing and representing NFL players.
Since the acquisition, the NFL division of Young Money APAA has signed several players for the NFL draft, including Murray State cornerback D’Montre Wade, Northern Iowa wide receiver Daurice Fountain, Texas Tech wide receiver Keke Coutee and South Alabama defensive back Jeremy Reaves.
The association with Young Money has helped in recruiting, Simms said. “A lot of players are fans of Young Money in general. It’s a well-known brand and that can be attractive.”
