Drew Rosenhaus is the only sports agent to ever appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He’s said to be the inspiration for one of the characters (Bob Sugar) in the movie “Jerry Maguire.” He’s been hired to not only represent hundreds of football players, but has also represented fans of NFL. He was hired by the fans and season ticket holders of the Florida Panthers to represent them against the franchise as ticket prices were being renegotiated. He has negotiated more than $1 billion in athletic contracts in his 20 years in the business. But, what does Drew Rosenhaus do that makes him so successful?
He’s everywhere. Sports agents are known for being in the background, but Drew Rosenhaus is out in the forefront. He has written two books and been in a movie. He’s done numerous television appearances, both in shows and commercials, and, as mentioned before, he’s been on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He’s successful because he never lets himself be forgotten. Nearly every serious NFL fan knows who Drew Rosenhaus is; though they may not know the name of any other NFL agent.
He’s relentless. Rosenhaus is successful as an NFL sports agent because he gets good deals, no great deals, for the players he represents. Never one to back down, Rosenhaus knows precisely the value each and every client brings to the team he’s negotiating with, and he uses that value to get his clients an impressive contract. He works long hours to get negotiations handled with exactly the right timing to benefit his clients. Rosenhaus doesn’t always have the best reputation as a person. In fact, many people would call him a jerk. But, his success with his clients is dependent upon him not being able to take “no” for an answer.
He’s current. Rosenhaus keeps up. He’s not content to sit on his reputation or to expect players to come to him because he’s Drew Rosenhaus. He’s firmly entrenched in NFL’s goings on each and every season. This is what allows him to properly negotiate for his clients.
He’s busy. When you’re managed by Drew Rosehaus, you’re managed by Drew Rosenhaus. He sees every one of his over 100 clients across 29 NFL teams play every year. Basically, he attends NFL games twice a week, every week of the season. He knows what they’re doing and he knows what their teams expect from them. He uses this knowledge to help them renegotiate when the time comes, or to help them find another team that can take better care of them. He manages his clients himself, not by using dozens of assistants to manage them.
Drew Rosenhaus has been mocked. He’s been parodied. He’s been spoofed. And through it all, he’s remained the most successful NFL agent in history. He may not be your best friend, but if you’re an NFL player, or you’re good enough to be an NFL player, he’d make a damn fine agent.
Ellen Ward writes about how to search for sports management degrees.
