Every year, it seems, an unusual story emerges regarding the recruiting and signing of a top NFL prospect. This year that story appears to be the one of Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith, who could be one of the first players taken in April’s draft.
The attorney general’s office of Alabama is investigating whether an agent or anyone else violated that state’s extremely strict laws regarding college athletes’ contact with agents after Smith was held out of the Sugar Bowl. Media outlets reported that Smith — who was ranked No. 2 overall on NFLDraftBlitz.com’s mock draft last week — was suspended for improper contact with agents.
Since then, talk in football circles had been that Smith had interviewed several agents but had not decided on one. Then last week, Alvin Keels, a young, up-and-coming agent with a small but talented group of clients, signed Smith for representation. Keels said he had had “absolutely zero contact” with Smith and had not “set foot on the University of Alabama” before Smith called him Super Bowl weekend and asked him whether he wanted to meet about representation.
The connection came thanks to Keels client James Davis, a running back prospect out of Clemson, who was training at the same Athletes Performance facility in Pensacola, Fla., where Smith was working out. It was Davis who recommended Keels to Smith.
“We just kind of clicked the first time we talked,” Keels said.
Keels’ Global Management Group of Norfolk, Va., reps about 15 players, including Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Koren Robinson and New England Patriots running back LaMont Jordan.
Other firms reporting NFL signings:
| QUICK READS: NFL SIGNINGS |
| Firm | Agent | Player / School |
| Global Management Group | Alvin Keels | Andre Smith, Alabama |
| 320 Sports | Sanat Sunny Shah | Eugene Monroe, Virginia |
Athletes First
(with Nick Sanchez) | David Dunn/
Andrew Kessler | Mark Sanchez, Southern Cal |
| Blue Entertainment Sports Television | Joel Segal | Percy Harvin, Florida
Brian Robiskie, Ohio State
Nate Davis, Ball State |
| Maximum Sports Management | Eugene Parker | Tyson Jackson, LSU
Jairus Byrd, Oregon |
| | Roosevelt Barnes | Travis Beckum, Wisconsin
Alex Magee, Purdue |
| Source: SportsBusiness Journal |
320 SPORTS: Sanat “Sunny” Shah, owner of Yorktown, Va.-based 320 Sports, has signed Virginia offensive tackle and projected top-10 pick Eugene Monroe for representation in the NFL draft. NFLDraftBlitz.com ranked Monroe No. 6 on its mock draft last week.
Shah represents only one active NFL player, Baltimore Ravens safety Daren Stone. He said he was able to recruit Monroe because he, too, hails from the University of Virginia, and because his small company could devote all of its resources to Monroe’s representation.
ATHLETES FIRST: Former USC quarterback and expected first-round draft pick Mark Sanchez has signed with Athletes First and Orange County attorney Nick Sanchez, the brother of the quarterback, for representation.
Sanchez was ranked No. 19 on the NFLDraftBlitz.com mock draft last week. He will be represented by three agents: Athletes First CEO David Dunn, Athletes First agent Andrew Kessler and his brother, who works at the Costa Mesa office of law firm Theodora Oringher.
BEST: Blue Entertainment Sports Television football agent Joel Segal has signed Florida wide receiver Percy Harvin, an expected first-rounder..
Segal, who runs the football division for BEST, has also signed Ohio State wide receiver Brian Robiskie and Ball State quarterback Nate Davis. NFLDraftBlitz.com had Harvin ranked No. 22, Davis ranked No. 34 and Robiskie ranked No. 66 in its mock draft last week.
MAXIMUM SIGNS NFL DRAFT PROSPECTS: Maximum Sports Management, the Fort Wayne, Ind., NFL player rep firm run by veteran agents Eugene Parker and Roosevelt Barnes, signed LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson.
Maximum has also signed Oregon cornerback Jairus Byrd, Wisconsin tight end Travis Beckum and Purdue defensive end Alex Magee. Parker represents Jackson and Byrd, and Barnes represents Beckhum and Magee.
While some agencies use a team approach in representing clients, Parker said that he and his longtime partner “are like doctors in a doctors office. He handles his own guys on his own and I handle mine.” Jackson is an expected low-first-round pick. Parker also will handle club contract work for expected high-first-round pick Michael Crabtree.
Liz Mullen can be reached at lmullen@sportsbusinessjournal.com.
