Stephen Ferber, CEO of Golden Gate BPO Solutions, attorney and NFLPA Certified Sports Agent, launches PAYDIRT Sports Law in Weston, Florida.

1. WESTON LIFE MAGAZINE I APRIL 2019 29WESTONLIFEMAGAZINE.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