Shark's tale
Drew Rosenhaus may be overbearing, but his tireless work and constant travel have built him a clientele of 76 NFL players
Many have called Drew Rosenhaus much worse, from National Football League executives and coaches to fellow agents and apparently even those with at least cursory interest in his social life, the one that gets squeezed for time by his relentless pursuit to be at the top of the mountain in the business side of the NFL.
''It turned out she had heard a bunch of people say, 'Look out, he's a shark,' and everything else,'' said Rosenhaus, who wrote A Shark Never Sleeps: Wheeling and Dealing with the NFL's Most Ruthless Agent, in 1997 after Sports Illustrated put him on its cover naming him the most hated man in pro football.
Fortunately, at a table nearby at Renegade Barbeque in Fort Lauderdale was San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore, who Rosenhaus added to his cache of top stars this season. It was after Erin Henry saw him interact with Gore's family, particularly his mother, that she felt more at ease with Rosenhaus. On Thursday afternoon, she was next to him when he walked into the Miami Beach Convention Center wearing a red long-sleeve Rosenhaus Sports Representation shirt with the big ''S'' on the front and back taken straight off the chest of Superman, an idea born from his hobby of collecting superhero figurines and comic books.
For an hour, Rosenhaus worked ''Radio Row'' with his client, The King -- the dashing Burger King guy from commercials -- generating the same buzz retired Hall of Famers do. He picked up the promotion after standing on the driveway of client Terrell Owens' home in New Jersey almost a year and a half ago and bellowing ''Next question!'' in an impromptu news conference that preceded Owens' departure from Philadelphia. If the Eagles were turned off by Rosenhaus in the process, it didn't last long. They signed receiver Jabar Gaffney and traded for Donte' Stallworth. Both are Rosenhaus clients.
''This year, I have worked very hard to keep a low profile,'' he said. ''I want the focus to be on my clients and not me. I insisted my client [Owens] be compensated, not me. I don't want anything. Burger King asked me to appear [Thursday], and I said only if they take care of a couple of my guys.
''Everyone says, 'Oh, there he is championing himself.' The reality is I was talked into it reluctantly. I am one of the more misunderstood guys in this business. When I have a high profile, it's to benefit my clients. I'm standing up for them. It has nothing to do with self promotion.''
Behind the scenes, Rosenhaus has served as Super Bowl XLI king for the week. His empire is based in the mansion he purchased from client Warren Sapp that serves as his home/office. He threw a bash Saturday night at the Versace Mansion for the beautiful, bold and famous both on and off the gridiron.
''One of the keys in life is to find something you love and something you are good at,'' the 40-year-old said. ''If I was ever born to do a job, this is it. I absolutely love what I do.''
Rosenhaus' stable of clients has exploded in the last three years, and he finally has developed a stronghold in the Bears' locker room with the help of defensive end Adewale Ogunleye, his first notable player in the organization in nearly two decades. It used to be he worked almost exclusively for clients who were from his alma mater, the University of Miami, or played for the Miami Dolphins. At one point, he had 19 Dolphins under his care.
In the first nine months of 2004, he signed 22 new players, 16 who had left former agents. Running back Clinton Portis parlayed two 1,500-yard seasons with the Denver Broncos into a $50.5 million contract with the Washington Redskins after a trade, the richest contract for a running back at the time.
Through six months of plotting, Rosenhaus landed Ogunleye a $33.4 million contract with the Bears that included $16 million guaranteed after the Dolphins had tendered him at $412,000. It's no wonder shortly after Ogunleye's arrival defensive tackle Tommie Harris chose to leave powerful agent Eugene Parker and running back Thomas Jones eventually bolted another power broker, Tom Condon. For his part, Ogunleye says he only discusses Rosenhaus when teammates ask about him. Soliciting work for his agent would be a violation of NFLPA rules.
''He's almost overbearing,'' Ogunleye said. ''Everybody thinks they see him too much, he's always around, no matter if the guy plays for Oakland or Miami. When I played in Miami, I would always see him in other cities. Everybody I talk to from Willis McGahee to Edgerrin James, we always see him. That kind of stuff goes a long ways when you know he has so many big clients.''
Star treatment isn't just for the stars. Reserve linebacker Darrell McClover, who's created a future for himself with solid special-teams play in half a season, says the same thing. Rosenhaus landed him when he was playing for the Hurricanes.
''He makes me feel like I am his only client,'' McClover said. ''He works that hard. But he talks too much.''
Harris and Jones have yet to be delivered riches. Jones, in fact, is playing for a bargain at $2.25 million and skipped the offseason program in part because of his desire for a new deal. He's signed for the same amount through next season.
Documents available through the NFL Players Association show that Rosenhaus has 76 clients under contract to NFL teams, six with the Bears, including Pro Bowl weak-side linebacker Lance Briggs, who will become an unrestricted free agent March 2. The only company with more players is the recently formed CAA group, a merger of former IMG big hitters Condon and Ken Kremer with SFX Sports veterans Ben Dogra and Jim Steiner. They claim 95.
Since he represented cornerback Robert Massey, a second-round pick of the New Orleans Saints in 1989, while still attending Duke law school, Rosenhaus has risen like a meteor. He was a showman from the start, convincing ESPN and late Saints general manager Jim Finks to broadcast the negotiations.
And he has done nearly all of it himself, working seven days a week and sleeping maybe five hours a night. He has only one other licensed agent working with him, his younger brother Jason, who is the numbers man in the operation. One personnel exec said you know you're close to a contract when you start dealing with Jason. There are two other employees, former cornerback Robert Bailey, the marketing arm of the group, and Danny Martoe, an assistant. That's it.
How he has produced such a client list isn't debatable for many competitors. Several agents contacted for this story declined to speak on the record -- and the Sun-Times will not run anonymous quotes criticizing Rosenhaus -- but Peter Schaffer has been a longtime adversary since he claims Rosenhaus stole guard Eddie Blake from him in 1993.
Schaffer has labeled Rosenhaus a ''scumbag'' and says it is no secret Rosenhaus goes to any length to woo players. He charges Rosenhaus convinced the impeccably built Blake, a second-round pick, he could make him $1 million marketing Blake's Earthquake Shake.
''Mind you, the kid never plays,'' Schaffer said. ''He gets cut in Miami, ends up in Green Bay and gets cut and comes back to me and says he needs a $10,000 loan because his mom's house is going into foreclosure. I couldn't tell you where he's at now. That's the shame of it all. Here's a young kid who got his head all screwed up.
''The great players, they get great contracts because they're great. It's the guys that get lost in the wash who are the true casualties, like Eddie Blake.''
Rosenhaus represented Florida safety Guss Scott when the New England Patriots drafted him in the third round in 2004. The Patriots and Rosenhaus had an agreement on a five-year contract -- an unusual length the team demanded -- that included a reported $625,000 signing bonus. But the deal was voided by the NFL Management Council, and the sides never reached a compromise. Scott wound up receiving the one-year qualifying offer of $230,000. Then, he blew out his knee in the preseason. He never recouped the lost bonus money and bounced around four teams this season.
''It bothers me when I have to defend what I do and the profession I am in because of stories like this,'' Schaffer said. ''I'm proud of what I do. I perform what I believe is a valuable service. I am sick of these stereotypes that have been created. We're not WWF managers. We have fiduciary responsibilities. It's nothing personal, it's professional.''
There are cases where agents have filed grievances against Rosenhaus, accusing him of stealing clients. One said he has proof Rosenhaus has a form letter for players to use when terminating their previous agent. He vehemently denies it and never has been punished by the NFLPA. He chalks it up to, among other things, professional jealousy.
''I've never poached a client, and I've never stolen a client,'' Rosenhaus said. ''I have signed a lot of players over the years who fired their previous agents. Clients recommend us. We have top clients. We get noticed. We're not any different than any of the other top agents. We've lost guys, too, it works both ways.
''I don't care a whole lot about what other agents say about me. I'm focused on what clients and their families think. That's where my dedication is. The fundamental purpose of an agent is to enhance his clients' lives.''
Bears general manager Jerry Angelo has said since the team acquired Ogunleye that he always has had a good relationship with Rosenhaus. Front-office folks from a handful of cities say that when it's time to negotiate, Rosenhaus is well-prepared and understands the market. That doesn't mean he always follows the rules.
He was spotted in the players' parking lot at Halas Hall in 2004, a no-no, and he has been banned from the Dolphins' parking lot. Now, he waits in the circle drive outside the in Lake Forest complex to visit with clients, a place he was spotted more than a handful of times since minicamp. Those not represented by Rosenhaus can see him there cajoling with clients that call him a friend.
''I liked his aggressiveness when I met him,'' Angelo said. ''I liked the way he came to the clubs. At times I would wonder if this guy was for real because he was so animated and you were thinking, 'He's never going to make it.' My hat is off to him in terms of what he has done over a period of time. It's a tough business. He's evolved.''
Said contract negotiator Cliff Stein: ''Say what you want about him, but he works hard and takes a lot of pride in what he does. He clearly cares deeply about his clients. He'll probably be single the rest of his life because he's married to the profession. He's always working some angle to better his clients, and ultimately himself.''
Ogunleye reached the trade market because he refused to report to the Dolphins in 2004. Briggs joined Jones in boycotting the offseason program last spring. It's when stars stay away that Rosenhaus generates considerable news.
''Whether Drew is in our locker room or is not in our locker room, it's not him, it's his players,'' Angelo said. ''I focus on his players. He understands the big picture.''
Rosenhaus isn't alone in complaining the system isn't fair. If a player is injured or underperforms, the club can force a pay cut or cut him. If a player outperforms his contract, the club says he signed a deal and must honor it. It's a one-way street, and Rosenhaus is far from the only agent who has had players hold out.
''If I never have to hold out a player again,'' he said, ''I would be the happiest guy in the world.''
Briggs' situation will begin to play out soon. The club is expected to put the franchise tag on him for 2007 at $7.206 million. He turned down a six-year deal that averaged $5.5 million last April, a smart move in hindsight. If he does reach the open market, he'll be a hot commodity like Buffalo Bills linebacker London Fletcher, whom Rosenhaus represents and lunched with Thursday in Miami Beach with the earpiece from his cell phone attached to his shirt.
He has no problem picking a team to root for tonight. With James now on the Arizona Cardinals, he doesn't work for any Colts.
''Usually at the Super Bowl it's a tough call for me,'' he said. ''I'm a Bears fan all the way.''
When Rosenhaus was done pushing The King on radio waves around the country, he headed for the exit hand-in-hand with Henry. He paused to check his cell phone before going through the door. A shark, after all, never sleeps.
