NFL Exec VP/Communications & Public Affairs PAUL HICKS will leave the league by the end of the month to join crisis PR firm Glover Park Group. New NFL COO TOD LEIWEKE will conduct an internal and external search for a replacement. Hicks said he worried, in his words, too much "scar tissue" has built up over the year of many crises and he might in the future lose perspective. So he went to NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL and Leiweke and offered to leave for the Glover Park opportunity. Hicks joined the NFL in '10 from Ogilvy PR, so he is returning to his agency roots. He orchestrated the NFL PR effort during the '11 lockout, which was largely seen as positive. But the NFL's communications effort has come under a sharp spotlight in recent years with the many black eyes suffered by the league, from Bountygate to player misconduct to now Deflategate. Glover has advised the NFL since '10. The PR agency is run by former White House Press Secretary JOE LOCKHART -- who served in BILL CLINTON's administration -- and AL GORE senior adviser MICHAEL FELDMAN.
