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Labor and Agents

Worth the wait: Alabama’s DeVonta Smith about to cash in as NFL draft nears

Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith could have been a first-round pick in last year’s NFL draft, had he declared as a junior.

 

“That was one of the things he mentioned to myself and my father,” said Jovan Barnes, who runs ISE Football with his father, veteran agent Roosevelt Barnes. “We asked him on many occasions, ‘Why did you come back?’” Jovan related. “He said, ‘I’ve got unfinished business. We need to win a championship.’”  

Smith took care of that business and carried off many top college football awards along the way. He was named SEC offensive player of the year, the offensive MVP in the CFP championship game, and won the Heisman Trophy. 

DeVonta Smith saw his stock rise even more after playing another season for the Crimson Tide.getty images

Rob Rang, longtime NFL draft analyst, is among those who believe Smith would have been a first-round selection last year. “He certainly boosted his stock, however, by returning and having such a remarkable season,” Rang said.

Barnes and his father represent the Las Vegas Raiders’ Henry Ruggs III, who was the first wide receiver taken in the 2020 draft, which was rich with talent at the position. Ruggs played at Alabama, and he and Smith remain close friends.

Roosevelt Barnes told Sports Business Journal last year that Ruggs would break the NFL combine record for the 40-yard dash – and he almost did. His 4.27 missed the record of 4.22, but was the fastest that year and the sixth-fastest in history, which elevated Ruggs’ standing among draft prospects.

Smith is joined by his girlfriend Mariah Abraham; mother Christina Smith-Sylve; and ISE’s Roosevelt Barnes and Jovan Barnes.ISE

The NFL has informed teams that the format will change with this year’s combine because of the pandemic. No in-person workouts will happen; instead they will take place at college pro days. Interviews and testing will be virtual. In-person medical exams will be limited. 

Jovan Barnes said he and the other ISE agents would find a way to get their clients in front of NFL club decision-makers. “This is a production business,” he said.

Many players eligible for this year’s draft opted out of the college football season, due to the pandemic. ISE represents one of those players, wide receiver Damonte Coxie, who last played at the University of Memphis.

ISE is also representing Louisville defensive lineman Jared Goldwire, Oregon cornerback Thomas Graham, Georgia offensive lineman Trey Hill, Oregon State running back Jermar Jefferson, Oregon cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, Stanford linebacker Curtis Robinson, Notre Dame wide receiver Ben Skowronek, and Stanford wide receiver/kick returner Connor Wedington.

Roosevelt and Jovan Barnes, and ISE NFL agents Chris Ellison, Erik Schmella and Tyler Thomas, represent the players.

■ COLLECTIVE REPPING HEAD COACHES: Collective Sports Advisors represents one newly named young head coach of an NFL club and co-represents another so far this offseason.

The agency, founded by Richmond Flowers III, represents new Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley, 38, and co-represents, with Athletes First, Robert Saleh, 41, who was recently hired as head coach of the New York Jets.

“NFL clubs are looking for coaches who are outside-the-box thinkers,” said Flowers. “What these top coaches all have in common is they are innovative. They are looking for new ways to do things.”

Additionally, Flowers negotiated a multiyear renewal for Patrick Graham to continue as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants. “He turned down a chance to interview for a head coaching position because he believes in what he is building in New York,” according to Flowers. Graham is 41.

Flowers started his company in 2018. He represents about 50 NFL coaches, including assistants, coordinators and Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio.

CAA SIGNS LOWE: Creative Artists Agency has signed Rebecca Lowe for representation in all areas. The NBC broadcaster is the host and face of the network’s English Premier League coverage, including “Premier League Live.” 

Lowe, who is British, has also served as a host of NBC’s Kentucky Derby broadcasts and has served as the network’s daytime host for Olympic coverage for both the Summer and Winter Games. She is expected to perform the same role this summer for the Tokyo Olympics.

Tom Young, co-head of CAA Sports Broadcasting, and agent Matt Olsen will lead the team representing Lowe. Young, whose clients include former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and CBS broadcaster Tony Romo, was promoted to co-head, along with Matt Kramer, last August.

Olson, who has been at CAA for six years, most recently negotiated the multiyear deal for client Jon “Boog” Sciambi to become the new play-by-play voice for The Cubs/Marquee Network while continuing his role at ESPN working on MLB and college basketball broadcasts.

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

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