NFL Player Agent
National Football League Players' Association
Win the game outside of the game.
Welcome to the William Ashley Agency, a new NFL representation firm that takes NFL player representation to the next level. The William Ashley Agency takes a holistic view of the NFL player, providing client services that span the arc of the NFL career. In today's market environment, it is essential that players are informed about the full complement of benefits and opportunities that an NFL career allows. Whether the subject is contract negotiation, communications, career management, NFL financial/economic analysis, or post-career management, the William Ashley Agency employs its resources and contacts to ensure success before, during, and after employment in the NFL...all at rates far below other representation agencies.
Contract Negotiation Services
At the William Ashley Agency, contract negotiation services begin with an extensive understanding of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which governs all aspects of the player-club relationship. William Ashley is certified by the National Football League Players' Association, which sets a high standard of qualifications, knowledge and experience. In fact, players are prohibited from using the services of a contract advisor that has not been certified by the NFLPA.
The William Ashley Agency takes a comprehensive view of contract negotiation services, and provides the following services at one low rate:
- Club financial and economic analysis
- Offseason training/physical therapy
- Combine preparation
- Contract negotiation
In providing these client services, the objective of The William Ashley Agency is to act in the interest of the player at all times, subject to the following business principles:
- Always maximize guaranteed money. In a sport where players are one play away from retirement, it is essential that an adequate amount of guaranteed salary is provided to the player. In many situations, maximizing guaranteed salary is also advantageous to the employing club.
- Don't be enticed by incentives. An excessive amount of incentives contained within any contract can make compensation appear substantial, when in reality it is not. Don't fall for the oldest trick in the book, and make sure your agent is serving your interests in this regard.
- When assessing a contract, focus on the first two or three years of compensation. Loading the back end of a contract can make total compensation…..more information
Career Management
The number one objective for The William Ashley Agency is to provide client services that function to enhance the NFL player's career. In the current market environment, contract negotiation is only half of the battle. There are many potential traps and pitfalls that the modern NFL player must avoid at all costs. The William Ashley Agency prides itself in its capability to predict, diagnose and troubleshoot issues that can affect player value, and/or even endanger an NFL career. Accordingly, The William Ashley Agency advises clients to follow several critically important principles:
- NEVER mix legal representation and contract negotiation. A huge potential conflict of interest exists if legal representation and contract negotiation services are provided by the same person. The player puts himself at significant risk if these two functions are not separated.
- NEVER mix the financial advisor function with the contract negotiation function. An inherent conflict of interest exists between the financial advisor function….more information
NFL Financial and Economic Analysis
Today's National Football League operates as one of the last legalized monopolies in the United States. The NFL essentially operates as a cartel that limits the supply of teams below the optimal level, shares most major revenue streams equally among its members, and subsidizes its operations with substantial public sector funding. In this sense, it is appropriate to think of the NFL as one centralized organization rather than an affiliation of 32 separate business entities. Much of the centralized nature of the NFL stems from its revenue sharing agreements.
The intent of this market structure is to guarantee revenue for each and every club, regardless of market size, club winning percentage, organizational structure, localized revenue, etc. The consequence of this structure is a market that is distorted, not connected to club quality, and potentially unresponsive to player needs. This market structure therefore makes it possible (and very likely) for certain clubs to make substantial profits while neglecting club quality.
At the William Ashley Agency, we understand the market structure of the NFL, and its potential consequences for the NFL player. In this environment, it is critical that players are able to navigate through this structure to build a quality career. The William Ashley Agency employs the full complement of resources to ensure optimal career decisions - and uses a number of diagnostic tools to support decision-making, including:
- William Ashley Agency's exclusive Club Quality Index (CQI), which measures each club's commitment to quality over time, taking into account factors such as player salary expenditures, salary cap room, facility expenditures, coaching/management expenditures, and player benefit expenditures.
- William Ashley Agency's exclusive Player-Friendly Index (PFI), which measures clubs on indicators such as player retention, franchise designation tendencies....more information
Communications
At the William Ashley Agency, we understand that the sports media is one of the most volatile factors affecting the market value of the NFL player. Time and again, history has proven this difficult lesson: the press is not your friend. In the modern mass media age, negative stories sell, and sadly, such stories dominate the coverage of major sports news outlets. This negative media orientation has the potential to greatly affect player value.
The majority of television, radio, internet, and print commentators have the unique talent of bringing negativity to any player-related story. Where the NFL player is concerned, negativity in the media is the standard. In this environment, players need to take concrete steps to protect their market value. The William Ashley media strategy provides a means to manage media exposure in a manner that complements the NFL career.
The William Ashley communications strategy is simple. Players are advised to maintain a low media profile. In today's media age, overexposure can negatively affect a player's value in the marketplace. To maintain market value, players are advised to:
· Remember that when interacting with media representatives, EVERYTHING IS ON THE RECORD. Every word. On-camera or off, on the stage or in the green room, on the phone or in-person. Never trust a media representative to maintain confidentiality in any situation.
· Keep media exposure to a minimum. In some cases, NFL players are mandated by the NFL to interact with the media. In this situation, players are advised to provide brief, concise, value-neutral responses to media representatives.
· Remember that the media profile and the endorsement profile are separate….more information
Post-Career Management
Given that even the most successful NFL career ends when the player is still very young, post-career management is the most important vehicle to ensuring a fulfilling life after football. The Collective Bargaining Agreement provides for programs that support the transition to the next chapter of life - and players are advised to use these programs to their benefit.
At the William Ashley Agency, the player's career is viewed as a long-term cycle that doesn't end at retirement. In this respect, players should be knowledgeable about these programs early in the career cycle. The William Ashley Agency manages these programs for the player so that the post-career transition is seamless. When seeking representation services, make sure that you inquire about post-career management. You will find that the William Ashley Agency possesses far more expertise in post-career management than any representation service on the market today.
Let the William Ashley Agency show you how the following programs can ensure a quality post-career life:
- The NFL Merrill Lynch Internship Program
- The NFLPA Financial Learning Center
- The NFLPA and NCAA Coaching Internship Program
- The NFL Broadcast Boot Camp
- The NFL Career Development Program
- The NFL Business Management and Entrepreneurial……more information
It is our hope that you will use our services as you make important career decisions. As always, we are available for consultaiton at your request. In today's market environment, you need support. You need information. You need representation. You need the William Ashley Agency. Call, text, or email us today.
(423) 933-8906
ashleyagency@comcast.net
