Steve Ferber is a former tennis player and attorney who founded a sports agency called Paydirt Sports Law. He understands the realities of professional sports careers, which typically last only 3 years in the NFL. Most athletes face financial issues after retirement due to lack of long term planning. Ferber aims to negotiate contracts, mentor clients, and help players manage their money to last beyond their playing days. He has already signed two potential NFL draft picks as his first clients - defensive lineman MBI Tanyi of the University of Maryland, and long snapper Zachery Roberts of Georgia Tech.

1. 24 WESTON LIFE MAGAZINE I APRIL 2019 WESTONLIFEMAGAZINE.COM
W
hat do you get when you cross an
attorney, an accountant and a jock?
A sports agent, of course! So when
Dwayne Johnson aka Spencer Strassmore in the
HBO hit series “Ballers” attempts to convince
his clients that the proceeds of multimillion
dollar NFL contracts have to last 30 years, and
they respond, “what am I going [to buy ?] after
I buy the Bentley?” you know that an agent has
his work cut out for him.
Steve Ferber wants to solve that problem. He
understands both the taste of victory and the
blast of reality. Starting his academic life at the
University of Maryland on a tennis scholarship,
it wasn’t long before he traded in his varsity
colors to pursue a degree in accounting.
That led to the University of Miami and a law
degree, and years spent as general counsel
and EVP of Strategic Planning for a blossoming
outsourcing firm that was successfully sold in
2004. Not one to rest on his laurels, Steve
launched Golden Gate BPO Solutions and
continued to pursue opportunities in outsourced
call centers around the world. That too has
been a tremendous success, with his company
poised to achieve Inc. 5000 status in 2019 for
the 4th consecutive year as one of America’s
fastest growing private companies. But at one
point he reassessed his goals and his future,
and there was still something missing.
In Law School, there was always an interest
in sports contracts. So he learned about the
business of the NFL- the interwoven relationships
among union’s agents, players, owners, and
the public. The NFL Players association protects
its players by requiring potential agents to pass
a rigorous licensing exam offered just once a
year, with close to a 55% failure rate.
Ferber made a commitment and never looked
back. He was certified in October of 2018
and founded a company that epitomized what
he wanted his clients to strike once he did his
job: paydirtsportslaw.com came into existence
shortly thereafter.
What does he know that other people don’t?
It is more that Ferber appreciates the fact
that 75-80% of career athletes suffer major
financial issues regardless of salary. That the
average NFL career is only 3 years and if a
player doesn’t make the best of it, he will never
recover. The average NFL annual paycheck is
$2 million, thus $6 million in three years. That
sounds wonderful until the taxes are paid, the
houses are purchased, the families and friends
are taken care of, and what is left can evaporate
pretty quickly without a financial and business
advisor. He wants to negotiate, to mentor, and
to make a difference, one player at a time.
Balancing short-term euphoria and long-term
realities is Ferber’s business, and he is poised to
do it quite well. He is out to build a brand that
will help his clients grow and weather the years.
His professional idol? Leigh Steinberg, who
came into one of Ferber’s law school classes
over 25 years ago to elaborate on what a
day as a successful sports agent is really like.
He should know, since Steinberg served as a
model for the main character in Jerry McGuire.
Recently, Steve had an opportunity to see his
inspiration again, this time as a peer during the
2019 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis,
at the NFL Player’s Association educational
seminar for agents in the business. Steinberg’s
client list most notably includes Troy Aikman.
Who will be Ferber’s Aikman? Well, although
not a veteran agent, Steve has picked up two
strong NFL potentials. His eye is on the draft in
late April. Watch for one of these names to be
called in the late stages of the picking:
MBI Tanyi, Defensive Lineman, University of
Maryland, age 21, native of Houston.
And fellow Houston native Zachery Roberts,
Long Snapper, Georgia Tech, age 23. Zachery
probably won’t be singled out in the draft stage
because he has such a niche position, but
hopefully, some team will see his potential and
grab him up before the next season.
So Spencer Strassmore, it’s time for another
Floridian to grab the limelight as the most
promising agent in the NFL.
Move over, baby! WL
WESTON’S
AGENT
SUPER