Andrew Brandt has put together a remarkable career in the sports industry. Andrew was always a die-hard sports fan while growing up. Upon graduating high school, Andrew went on to study at Stanford University. During his time there, Andrew experienced first-hand the John Elway glory days. Andrew’s personal affinity for the game of football made the excitement surrounding the Cardinals’ football team and John Elway even more special. Experiencing the frenzy of Elway’s college years as an avid and die-hard sports fan affirmed that the sports industry was where he wanted and needed to be.
After graduating from Stanford University and then law school at Georgetown University, Andrew went on to work with ProServ, a sports agency in Washington DC. While at ProServ, Andrew quickly established himself in the sports industry where he became the agent of NBA super star Michael Jordan and NFL star quarterback Boomer Esiason.
In 1990, Andrew left his position at ProServ to pursue the General Manager position for the Barcelona Dragons of the NFL World League where he became the youngest general manager in professional sports. Additionally, Andrew led the Dragons to the inaugural World Bowl held in 1991. About his time as the GM of the Barcelona Dragons, he said, “It was funny because the fans were silent for touchdowns and cheered for extra points and field goals.” After his brief stint in Europe, Andrew made his way back to the States and began representing players again as part of Woolf Associates in Boston, Massachusetts.
At Woolf Associates, he represented NFL players like Matt Hasselbeck and Adam Vinatieri. Perhaps his biggest accomplishment while at Woolf Associates was landing the highly talented and highly coveted running back prospect Ricky Williams out of the University of Texas. Ricky Williams posed a major recruiting challenge for Andrew; “I had to chase him halfway around the country.” The chase paid off and Andrew again established himself as a top agent upon landing arguably one of the most talented and interesting prospects in the 1999 NFL Draft. During his time as an agent, Andrew said his biggest challenge was trying to get players to listen to him especially about financial issues such as saving and spending money.
Before the 1999 NFL season, Andrew made the jump from the agent side to the team executive side of contract negotiations when he became a vice president with the Green Bay Packers. Working with the Packers from 1999-2008, Andrew negotiated all player contracts and managed the team’s salary cap. When asked what differences he saw between being an agent and being a front office executive he said, “It is really the same thing but for the other side except you don’t have to worry about recruiting clients on the team side.” The biggest challenge that Andrew faced while working on the team side was ensuring that the team stayed competitive year in and year out. Andrew also served as a consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles for one season in 2009. At Woolf Associates, he represented NFL players like Matt Hasselbeck and Adam Vinatieri. Perhaps his biggest accomplishment while at Woolf Associates was landing the highly talented and highly coveted running back prospect Ricky Williams out of the University of Texas. Ricky Williams posed a major recruiting challenge for Andrew; “I had to chase him halfway around the country.” The chase paid off and Andrew again established himself as a top agent upon landing arguably one of the most talented and interesting prospects in the 1999 NFL Draft. During his time as an agent, Andrew said his biggest challenge was trying to get players to listen to him especially about financial issues such as saving and spending money.
Andrew has recently settled into his three current positions in the sports industry; ESPN’s NFL Business Analyst, President of the National Football Post, and lecturer of sports law and sports business at the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania. Andrew feels that this point of his career has been the most rewarding because he gets to give back through his television, radio, writing, and teaching work. As ESPN’s NFL Business Analyst, Andrew is constantly making the rounds on various ESPN radio stations and ESPN network television programs such as Outside the Lines, NFL Live, and SportsCenter. As an expert in labor negotiations, Andrew has been frequently called upon to discuss the recent labor unrest in both the NFL and the NBA clarifying the confusing legal language and putting everything into terms that the average sports fan can understand.
As the President of the National Football Post, Andrew informs through his writing. With an established staff of writers, the National Football Post offers a unique mix of analysis, news, statistics, and business. A memorable Andrew Brandt article in my mind is “Fitz’s Fortune” where he broke down the legal nuances of the three contracts that Arizona Cardinals star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has signed through his career into easy to understand parts.
When people think about giving back, they typically think of teachers and teaching is yet another way that Andrew connects with people interested in the sports industry. As a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, Andrew teaches sport topics such as law, contract negotiation, business, and marketing. After mastering the tricks of the trade during his time as an agent and front office executive, there is no better way to give back to the industry than teaching the topics he mastered. One of the biggest reasons that Andrew is able to give back is due to the way the sports business industry has changed since he entered the field out of law school. “There’s a lot more interest in sports business now,” he said. He added that there is a lot more focus now on how teams generate revenue and then how they spend their money than ever before.
For a man whose goal is to inform, Andrew Brandt has been extremely successful in doing so through social media, most notably through Twitter. With the Twitter handle @adbrandt, Andrew is constantly keeping the public informed. In regards to the negotiations surrounding the collective bargaining agreements of the NFL and the NBA, Andrew has been successful in utilizing Twitter to summarize legal concepts in 140 characters or less. “Twitter is a godsend,” he said.
Andrew Brandt has accomplished more in the early stages of his career than many accomplish in a lifetime. When asked what the key to his success was, Andrew said “reinventing himself” and always adapting to what comes next. After becoming a primary voice in sports business, even Andrew himself does not know what the future holds for his career adding, “You just never know.” One thing is certain. Everybody in the sports industry can learn a lot from Andrew Brandt, and as long as he is still working in sports, he will always give us all a lot to learn from.
--Written by Kevin Rossi
Drexel SMTSU Treasurer
@kevin_rossi
No comments:
Post a Comment