How African American Agents Are Changing The Sports Agent Industry
As we all know the sports agent industry is a really competitive, non-stop, ever-changing, and cutthroat industry. Sports agents get in on the glitz, glamour, and fame in an industry where agents compete heavily against each other to sign the biggest superstar athletes in their respective sports. Trying to get them the best contracts for their playing careers, the best marketing opportunities, the best endorsement deals, philanthropic opportunities, and the best advice on how they can invest their money into businesses and start-ups. The sports agent industry has been dominated by the likes of larger agencies such as CAA, Wasserman, and Octagon with agents who are not of the African American race. But lately that trend has been changing with African American agents on the rise, performing at an exceptionally high level.
In the 2020 NFL Draft, for the first time in history, the majority of NFL first round picks were represented by African-American agents. Seventeen of the first-round selections were represented by black agents to be exact. Even more amazing is that, five out of the first ten players drafted in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft were represented by African-American agents which is a new record. Some of those African-American agents who represent some of those first round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft are David Mulugheta of Athletes First Agency, Nicole Lynn of Young Money APAA Sports & Lifestyle Agency, Damarius Bilbo of Klutch Sports Group Agency, and John Thornton of Roc Nation Sports.
Super agent David Mulugheta who is president of team sports at Athlete First is the NFL agent who had the most clients taken in the first round with four; no one had more. Those clients were Isaiah Simmons drafted to the Arizona Cardinals, AJ Terrell drafted to the Atlanta Falcons, K’Lavon Chaisson drafted to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Jordan Love drafted to the Green Bay Packers. Mulugheta also represents many elite players in the NFL such as Deshaun Watson, Jalen Ramsey, Landon Thomas, Derwin James, and Kevin Byard. Outstanding agent Nicole Lynn had a client drafted in the top ten of this year’s NFL Draft in Jedrick Willis Jr. who was drafted by the Cleveland Browns, making her the only African-American women agent to represent a top ten pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Nicole Lynn also represents the electric and dynamic quarterback Jalen Hurts out of the University of Oklahoma who was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round. Lynn also represents McTelvin Agim, who was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round. Notably, Lynn became the first ever African-American woman agent to represent a top-five pick when the New York Jets drafted Alabama standout Quinnen Williams with the third pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. This also makes Lynn the first ever African-American woman agent to have two top-ten picks in back to back years of the NFL Draft. Expect Lynn who is just getting started, to rep some of the biggest stars in the NFL and NBA in the near future. Agent Damarius Bilbo who leads the football division at Klutch Sports Group represents two top-three picks in this year’s NFL Draft in Chase Young who went №2 to the Washington Redskins and Jeff Okudah who went №3 to the Detroit Lions. This makes him the first African-American agent to rep two top-three picks in an NFL Draft. On top of that, Bilbo is a big-time agent in the NFL agent business representing star pro bowlers Melvin Gordon, Jarvis Landry, and Alvin Kamara. Agent John Thornton of Roc Nation Sports Agency represents Andrew Thomas who was the №4 pick to the New York Giants. Thornton is also the agent of NFL linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski, helping Kwiatkoski ink a three-year contract with the Las Vegas Raiders for a total of $21 million.
It was late great super agent Eugene Parker, a titan in the NFL agent business and a godfather to all the African-American sports agents, who inspired many of the African-American agents today to pursue a career in the industry. Parker who died in 2016, at the age of 60, represented prominent NFL players Dion Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Hines Ward, Rod Woodson, Curtis Jones, and Walter Jones during their glorious hall of fame careers, earning an image as a relentless and game changing agent who was determined to get the best for his clients. Notably, Parker was recognized in 2005 by Black Enterprise Magazine as one of the 50 most powerful African-Americans in sports. Parker is a huge reason why so many young African-Americans thought and believed they could have phenomenal success and make waves in this ruthless and hustling industry. Parker’s legacy lays the work out for the next generation of innovative and successful black sports agents.
We Surely cannot forget about Rich Paul who is making power moves on the basketball side and changing the NBA industry. Rich Paul is considered by most right now, to be the most powerful agent in the NBA. Paul who founded his sports agency Klutch Sports Group in 2012, represents a super star-studded roster that includes basketball legend and longtime friend LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Eric Bledsoe, Draymond Green, John Wall, Ben Simmons, Jusuf Nurkic, and many more. Rich Paul is known for encouraging his clients to take advantage of their star power and influence in unprecedented ways, especially when it comes to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Rich Paul has helped LeBron James and Anthony Davis structure contracts and make certain demands that have helped cause an unparalleled shift in the NBA, one where all-star players can reshape the landscape of the entire league in just one off-season. This goes to show how Rich Paul has been at the forefront and the leader of player empowerment. Paul has made athletes recognize that their so much more than just athletes, that they have a voice and platform to use it and that their playing careers shouldn’t be the ceiling for their success and legacy.
In August of 2019, the NCAA issued a memo to agents outlining the new certification agent process. One of the requirements was all agents representing college basketball players who are deciding to stay in school or explore the NBA Draft had to have a bachelors’ degree to serve as an agent. The NCAA’s new requirements were heavily criticized by a lot of people, including Rich Paul himself who did not graduate from college and by NBA stars LeBron James and Chris Paul because some current NBA agents didn’t attend college and were at disadvantages at certain times in their lives. Rich Paul responded to the new NCAA controversial rule in an op-ed piece for The Athletic saying “The harmful consequences of this decision will ricochet onto others who are trying to break in. NCAA executives are once again preventing young people from less prestigious backgrounds, and often people of color, from working in the system they continue to control. In this case, the people being locked out are kids who aspire to be an agent and work in the NBA and do not have the resources, opportunity or desire to get a four-year degree.” All really amazing and truthful points. Days later after it released the new memo requirements, thanks in large part to LeBron’s social backlash, the NCAA decided to reverse its decision entirely on the rule, not requiring agents to have a bachelor’s degree, amending it. Instead, the NCAA said it will adopt regulations used by the National Basketball Players Association to certify agents, which includes an option to grant waivers for any agent who does not have a bachelor’s degree. The rule would have kept Paul and other agents who do not have a bachelor’s degrees from being an agent to some of the most skilled and talented players in the world. The bachelor’s degree requirement led many to refer to it as the controversial “Rich Paul Rule.” Many refer to as the Rich Paul Rule because they saw it as the NCAA trying to take aim and target Rich Paul with the rule. Paul’s power and influence was gaining rapidly within the sports business and the NCAA thought its power and large stream of money was being threatened by Paul, so the NCAA had to react and find a way to limit him. No one had a problem when powerful and prominent agent David Falk, Michael Jordan’s agent, who is white, was changing how everything was done in the 1980s and 1990s in the NBA from contract negotiations to marketing opportunities for NBA athletes. Nothing against him as he was a remarkable agent and a pioneer to many NBA agents today, who defined the business in an entirely different era. But now just because a young and successful black agent in the business is gaining more and more power quickly and influencing how certain things are done, the NCAA all of a sudden now needs to create new barriers to entry? Just because they feel they are losing their power and control over NBA prospects to an intelligent and incredible African-American super agent, they have to find a way to degrade him?! This just goes to show you that the NCAA, a large governing body, is scared of and feels threatened by a groundbreaking and diligent African-American agent who is changing the landscape of the business in the NBA and prospering in every area he enters.
Paul continues to make power moves through the sports agent business by expanding his agency, Klutch Sports Group, into baseball and football. Recently, back in January, Klutch Sports Group acquired Revolution Sports Agency to expand into the world of NFL football, with agent Damarius Bilbo leading the NFL Division. In April of 2020, Klutch Sports Group acquired Tidal Sports for its new baseball branch, marking its entry into baseball representation for the MLB, with agent Brodie Scoffield to lead the MLB Division. Paul just keeps on breaking cultural ground as a sports agent, building his dynasty and innovating how things are done in the business. No matter how you look at him, Paul is a legend when it comes to the sports agent industry.
As you can see African-American agents are starting to heat up in this very competitive industry. For too long, African-American agents have been overlooked and thought of to have no chance to make it and thrive in this industry. Finally, African-Americans are getting the recognition they deserve and more importantly the results that they had to grind and work hard for. You can see how African-Americans are making huge positive impacts from the most popular and respected sports leagues in the world from the NBA, to the NFL, and to the MLB and laying out the ground work for others to follow in this business. In the future, it would be great and inspiring to see African-Americans in this industry continue to thrive and dominate in this hard maneuvering industry. All African-Americans ever wanted in this industry, is a seat at the table.
