Update 1: Meeting the Agent

Today I met with my sponsor, Mr. Simms, at Panera to talk about what he does on a day-to-day basis and what he will generally have me doing for the next three weeks.  It was incredible to hear about all the cool people he meets, all the cool places he goes, and what he does in order to attract clients to his business.  What really struck me as interesting was that he said the most important thing to being a successful sports agent was being personable, as that can take you a long way in life.  As we went over the legal, financial, and marketing aspects of his job, it was crazy when the director of player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys called Mr. Simms to negotiate a contract for one of they players the Cowboys had drafted in the NFL draft one week ago, a player whom Mr. Simms represents.  The Cowboys just so happen to be my favorite football team, and I was awestruck at how casual the conversation between the two sides was while trying to determine how much Mr. Simms’ client would be paid over the next few years.  Mr. Simms also talked about how he was already beginning to prepare for next year’s draft, as he had to start recruiting players to his agency who were going into their final season’s in college before they tried their luck in the NFL.  He explained that over the next week or so he will have me doing background research on some of the prospects he hopes to represent, in order to gain a better understanding of both their familial and athletic background.  I can’t wait to get started.