Interview with Ryan Earls: NFL Agent

Negotiation is a highly important factor in the world of sports.  And in professional sports it is usually an agent that has the responsibility of making their athlete client not only employed but also satisfied with the salary and other bonuses offered by the organization.  Hey Wear This (Sports) recently caught up with NFL Agent Ryan Earls of Cover3 Representation to answer a few questions about the job of an agent.  

Hey Wear This: Thank you for taking some time out for me.  Can you tell me your name and current industry position/job title?

Ryan Earls: Ryan Earls, CEO Cover3 Representation. NFLPA Certified Contract Advisor.

HWT: How long have you been working within the sports industry and more specifically with athletes?

RE: 2 years

HWT: Many professional athletes believe they are undervalued and have been building an ego since their prep years.  How do you separate the person from the problem, or should I say ego from the problems at negotiation table?

RE: This one has not been an issue for me. I spend a lot of time making sure I represent guys who don’t feel entitled. This has eliminated many of these types of headaches. It's also important to go over expectations with a client about what you think may happen so you are both mentally prepared to deal with all scenarios.

HWT: Have you heard of cases where an athlete was just too difficult to deal with and lost endorsements or other deals because of it? If so please explain.

RE: Chad Johnson. I don’t think anyone wants to sign him to an endorsement deal at this moment.

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HWT: Athletes and Agents/Managers have a give and take relationship.  In what ways do you believe you and your clients gain mutual benefit?

RE: I provide my clients with knowledge and foresight into likely scenarios whether it is contract negotiations or roster cuts. I get paid a % of their contract for my negotiation skills and helping them navigate the rigors of sticking to an NFL roster.

HWT: Objective criteria are important when making negotiations.  How often do you refer to industry standards such as profit splits and commission when making your agreements?

RE: Profit splits might be a negotiation tactic with a small company in a marketing deal. It is not used when negotiating an NFL contract. We are bound to negotiating within the parameters of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

HWT: When a client of yours is performing well do you utilize that increase in performance as leverage? If so how?

RE: Again, this will depend on the parameters of the CBA. For instance I have an undrafted linebacker who is performing well. He is on year 1 of a 3-year deal. We are not able to renegotiate until the end of year 2.  We will then pull veteran contracts that got new deals recently who have had similar stats. We will use that as a base for negotiation.

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HWT: If you could change something about how your industry is perceived or handled what would it be?

RE: That agents prey on college kids. It's simply an untrue stereotype.

Also, being an agent is NOTHING like the movie Jerry Maguire.

I would like state-by-state regulation to be replaced by federal regulation. There are too many different laws and it's just a money making scam for the states anyways.

HWT: I want to thank you again for your time and effort in this interview and best of luck in your future endeavors.

I wanted to highlight some important lessons I learned from Ryan in this interview.  Fortunately or unfortunately, depending how you look at it, objective criteria is a forced issue as the commission of an NFL agent is capped under the Collective Bargaining Agreement utilized by the NFL players association.  That agreement ensures that an NFL agent is not to receive more than 3% of their client’s playing salary.  Of course endorsement and other arrangements made by the agent could garner upwards of 10% to 15%. 

I thought the Jerry Maguire comment was pretty funny, but it is good to know all NFL agents are not preying on college kids.  This has been in the sporting news several times in the cases of Reggie Bush, OJ Mayo, and many others.  Where an agent has a “runner” pay a college athlete while still in college to secure the athlete’s spot within the agency when they graduate.  This is a very risky business and looked down upon by legitimate NFL agents.

Lastly it is important to know talent isn’t everything when it comes to the negotiation table.  Many All-Pro caliber players are denied even the smallest of contracts and endorsements due to their antics on and off the field.  Teams would rather avoid the potential headache than take the risk in many occasions, and it is very important as an agent to keep your client’s in line with the rules and understand the financial burden that could come by not doing so.

I want to thank Mr. Earls again for his time and to visit the website of Cover3 Representation: click here.