NFL Agent On Representing Late-Round Picks, Undrafted Players From State Of Utah

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – There aren’t many careers that require an agent as part of the job but in professional football, getting an agent is a top priority. NFL agent Evan Brennan joined KSL Unrivaled to detail what an NFL agent really does.

A potential first-round pick will be wooed by the top agencies but if a player is considered a late-round or even goes undrafted they need an agent who will work hard and hustle for them to get workouts, meet with teams and hype their clients.

The latter is where Utah-based NFL agent Brennan comes into play. He represents about 30 total players and the majority of them are late-round picks or undrafted. A lot of the guys he signs are from local Utah schools.

He represents about 30 NFL players and added four more who signed as free agent players this past week – BYU’s Dayan Ghanwoloku who signed with the L.A. Rams, Utah CB Josh Nurse who signed with the Baltimore Ravens, BYU’s Aleva Hifo who is with the Kansas City Chiefs, and Weber State’s Jonah Williams also signed with the Rams.

Former Utah CB Josh Nurse (@UnoQuatroJ14) is heading to Baltimore after signing a free agent deal with the @Ravens.#GoUtes #ProUtes https://t.co/xK1AY9jrUU

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) April 26, 2020

Brennan’s story began after he voluntarily helped others out when he was getting his degree.

“When I was at BYU, I had a lot of friends on the football team and my dad was a well-known attorney… they figured I would know something about this and they wanted some advice,” Brennan said. “So, I started advising them.

“I had a family friend in Robert Anae who was the BYU offensive coordinator and gave him some advice. I thought to myself, ‘you are helping these guys out and making decisions on how to choose an agent and are their age, so why not try to do it for real.’ I went to law school and started representing players about a decade ago.”

As things go he started off with a modest client list and now Brennan said he now represents about 30 players in the NFL.

What Makes A Good Fit?

When Brennan looks for guys he wants to represent he makes sure there is a good fit. There are a few things that make a player fit the mold and it is a combination of things that include character and also if that player has a realistic shot of making it to the NFL.

“I do see guys who change but when I look to recruit a player I look at his college recruiting process and if he committed to one school and stood firm even when bigger offers came, I really like those kinds of guys,” Brennan said. “Those who de-committed and hopped around, that sounds like something in his character who likes to pick and choose where the wind blows and may not be a guy who sticks around long-term for me.”

Brennan is not currently representing guys who are likely first-round picks so he needs to do his own scouting reports on what guys he can get to the league and make both of them some money.

“I built my practice off of representing a lot of guys that go late in the draft and undrafted guys that make it. That is how I have made my money and a career for myself,” Brennan said. “The way I have done it is to look for traits. Does this guy have freak speed, does he have NFL length, is he clean in terms of injury history, can he play multiple positions, is this a guy who is really smart and picking up the playbook, and those kinds of things.

“Even more important than that is developing very close NFL relationships. I call scouts all the time and say, ‘who is under the radar that you would love to be in your camp right now and has a shot to make it?’ Every scout gives me two or three other kind of guys and it is a lot easier to sell to NFL teams if they are already interested in the guy, so are the players I like and that is who I have had success with.”

There is so much that goes into finding the right fit for clients to the NFL. Looking at team needs, aging players, schemes, leveraging offers against teams and relationships go a long way in getting his players signed who were not drafted.

Guiding Players Through NFL And Beyond

Money is a sensitive subject. Getting a financial plan in place is very important for these newly minted NFL players as they are getting a large sum of money and that even goes for the undrafted guys who can get bonuses in the five-figure range.

Brennan takes the time to get his clients in a plan to manage their life once they are in the league and that obviously includes taking care of finances. Also, he wants to prepare his clients for a post-NFL career and what they do in the league can jumpstart their next phase in life.

Former #BYU RB and now NFL player Ty'Son Williams discussed the impact #BYUFootball had on his career, life, and helping him land a free agent contract with the Baltimore Ravens.

New #CougarTracks on @kslsports! https://t.co/O7hEd6mi0D

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) April 28, 2020

“We talk about a plan. What we are looking to do is to have guys maintain relationships, finances, and health while they are in the league and after,” he said. “We try to set them up with people they can trust and manage their money and put them on a budget. We tell them that the NFL is an advancement on life, it doesn’t define you but it does give you a head start from other kids who graduated from college.

“This is true from a monetary standpoint, platform, and relationship standpoint. If you view it that way and knowing you will have a job 20 to 30 years after I am done playing football and this accelerates that then it is a totally different mindset.”

That is a great way to look at the NFL, one of the leagues alternate acronyms is Not For Long, and for the players that Brennan represents, they have an uphill battle by being taken late or signing after the draft.

So, knowing that whatever time they have in the NFL they need to not only try to remain in the league as long as possible but also use that time wisely to set up their post-football career because that will be a big part of their life.

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