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Labor and Agents

RB Lynch parlays ‘real’ personality into bevy of national ads

Not talking to the media has paid off for Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch.

He has three national commercials airing now — with Pepsi, Skittles and Xbox — and two more have been shot and are scheduled to air by the end of October, according to Lynch’s agents at Relativity Sports.

The Pepsi spot, which garnered more than 744,000 views on YouTube last week, features Lynch appearing to speak with a woman’s voice, until the camera pulls back to show the woman speaking the words and Lynch lip-syncing them.

The Seahawks’ Marshawn Lynch made a statement with the Pepsi commercial without having to speak a word.
“They said, ‘Pepsi’s all about trying something new,’” Lynch lip-syncs in the commercial. “I said, ‘As long as I don’t have to speak.’ And they said, ‘OK, would you at least move your lips?’”

Doug Hendrickson, Lynch’s agent since he was picked No. 12 overall in the 2007 draft, said companies are attracted to Lynch’s indomitable “real” personality, in addition to his penchant for not speaking to the press, including at the last two Super Bowl media days.

“A lot of these ad campaigns are based on that,” he said.

Hendrickson said he and James Barry, one of Relativity Football’s directors of marketing, had turned down many deals for Lynch.

Of Lynch’s future deals, Barry would only say, “He does have commercials coming out in late October with some brands we can’t announce yet and some deals we can’t announce yet.”

> SES SIGNS NFL PLAYERS: SES Sports has signed Washington Redskins running back Alfred Morris, who will be eligible for a new contract after this season, as well as New England Patriots defensive tackle Dominique Easley for representation.

The players will be represented by SES’s CEO and founder, Sean Stellato. Easley had been represented by Elevate Football. Morris had been represented by Sportstars but left that firm about six months ago.

Easley was a first-round draft pick in 2014, and Stellato said, “Dominique has unlimited potential to be one of the top defensive tackles in the years to come. I expect big things from him.”

Morris was a sixth-round pick in 2012 but far outplayed his draft status and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2014 and 2015.

Morris had the ability to renegotiate a new deal after his third year in the league but didn’t.

“He defines a pro’s pro,” Stellato said. “As of 2016, his contract is up at the end of February. He is an unrestricted guy.”

Stellato said he does not know why Morris left his former agency but said he signed Morris because “we just clicked.” SportsBusiness Journal reported in April that Morris was without an agent, and the competition to sign him was heavy.

“I know he got bombarded with phone calls,” Stellato said.

Stellato founded SES Sports in Wellesley, Mass., in 2013. He was first certified to represent NFL players in contract talks in 2005 and represents about a dozen players in the league.

In other NFL agent news, Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Akeem Spence has signed with Darryl Carver of Envisage Sports. He was represented by Impact Sports. New York Giants cornerback Jayron Hosley also left Impact Sports. He had not retained new representation.

> EXCEL SIGNS TWO NBA PLAYERS: Excel Sports Management has signed Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Johnson and Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes.

President and founder Jeff Schwartz will represent them.

Johnson was represented by Wasserman Media Group and Barnes by 24/7 Sports Management.

Liz Mullen can be reached at lmullen@sportsbusinessjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @SBJLizMullen.

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