Agent Leigh Steinberg's new firm, Steinberg Tollner & Moon, won one of the most hotly contested recruiting battles for a prospect in this year's NFL draft by signing Miami of Ohio quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Although Mississippi quarterback Eli Manning holds a higher spot on most mock draft lists, top football agents didn't even bother to recruit him because it was widely assumed that he would sign with Tom Condon of IMG, who represents Manning's older brother, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. Last week, Condon confirmed that he had signed Eli Manning.
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Steinberg, who has represented eight No. 1 NFL draft picks during his 30-year career as an agent, including superstar quarterbacks Steve Young, Troy Aikman and Drew Bledsoe, said he believes his signing of Roethlisberger is the start of a new string of top-rated quarterbacks represented by his firm. "I don't think there is any question about that," he said.
Back in February 2001, Steinberg was at the top of the sports agent business. His firm, Steinberg, Moorad & Dunn, had sold to Assante Corp. for a reported price of more than $100 million, and it represented a star-studded list of 85 NFL players.
Then partner David Dunn left the firm, taking six employees and 50 NFL player clients with him. Other players, including stars such as Tony Gonzalez and Jevon Kearse, fled to other agents amid the turmoil.
Steinberg's firm sued Dunn, charging that he and the employees who left conspired to steal Steinberg's business, and received a jury award of $44.66 million.
But despite the verdict, Dunn and his new firm, Athletes First, still had most of the former firm's clients, and last year it was Dunn, not Steinberg, who represented the first pick in the draft, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer.
Steinberg last year bought back what was left of his practice from Assante Corp. and formed Steinberg Tollner & Moon with partners Warren Moon, the former NFL quarterback, and agents Bruce and Ryan Tollner. Bruce is the son and Ryan is the nephew of San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks coach Ted Tollner.
Dunn and Steinberg both competed to sign Roethlisberger this year. Ken Roethlisberger, Ben's father, said the dispute between Steinberg and Dunn was a factor in the decision to choose Steinberg, even though a number of Dunn's player clients and their parents called to vouch for Dunn. "I don't know how you could not be concerned about it," he said.
Roethlisberger said having Moon on the team was one reason his son chose Steinberg's firm. "We were really impressed with the fact that [Moon] might possibly be a mentor to our son," he said.
Ben Roethlisberger also felt a connection with Ryan Tollner, who is close to his age. "Ryan is a class individual and is probably going to be in as close contact with Ben than anybody," said Ken Roethlisberger.
And, finally, Steinberg's history was a factor. The selection of the firm "certainly has something to do with the fact that [Steinberg] had dealt with top quarterbacks before," Roethlisberger said.
As for the possibility of being chosen No. 1, Roethlisberger said his son "would love to be in that position, but he enjoys the situation he is in."
Moon said the signing of Roethlisberger is an indication of how strong the new firm can be. "It just shows we are right back almost where we left off," said Moon, a vice president in the firm. "We are not quite there, but we are close."
