Inspiring Conversations with Leigh Steinberg of Leigh Steinberg Sports & Entertainment

Today we’d like to introduce you to Leigh Steinberg

Hi Leigh, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was a dorm counselor working my way through law school at UC Berkeley in the early 70’s and they moved the freshman football team into the dorm. One of the students was the quarterback Steve Bartkowski who ended up being selected first overall in the 1975 NFL Draft. Bartkowski asked me to represent him and we were able to negotiate the largest rookie contract in NFL history. There was not an organized field of sports agentry at that point. Franchises could decide they would not talk to agents and there was no recourse. My father had raised me with two core values: 1) Treasure relationships, especially family 2) Try to make a positive difference in the world and heal pain. I saw the tremendous idol like worship that athletes were held in communities. I made it a practice to only work with athletes willing to retrace their roots to the high school, collegiate, and professional communities to make a positive impact. That was 50 years ago.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I had to learn listening skills so that I could draw out another human being and cut below the surface to truly understand their greatest anxieties and fears as well as their greatest hopes and dreams. In 1976 I had a mediocre recruiting year and realized that I needed to adjust and profile perspective clients before meeting them. I would talk to athletes from strong family backgrounds who were willing to be role models and had interest in 2nd career. By only talking to those athletes who exhibited those qualities, my rate of recruiting success soared. In football I went on to have 64 first round picks, the very first overall pick in 8 different years, and 12 players in the Hall of Fame. We also had a large baseball practice with my partner, Jeff Moorad. We had high NBA draft picks and boxers like Oscar De La Hoya and Lennix Lewis.

As you know, we’re big fans of Leigh Steinberg Sports & Entertainment. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I have continuously represented professional athletes in one form or another for the last 50 years. Currently, we have two certified NFL Agents and a support staff of 3. The key is training younger professionals to become stars in their own right. One can argue that they can do every task better then the younger staffer. But the consequence of that is that you will do everything yourself. The world has to recognize everyone in the office as a star which will allow you to attract more business. We try to stress a modality for analysis of deal structure that enables everyone to be active in the 3 phases of representation. 1) Recruiting 2) Contract and Endorsement Negotiation 3) Client Services. Everyone in the office also shares a commitment to try and use sports for societal good. We also have an education process to train the next generation of sports professionals called The Agent Academy and Sports Career Conferences. We’ve been active in trying to stimulate awareness, prevention, and cure from the specter of athletic concussion. We are pioneering the use of new modalities that can elevate athletic performance and stimulate faster recovery from injuries. Modalities like hyperbaric oxygen, stem cells, NanoVi, red/blue/white light, Bimini, and NESTRE brain training.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was better reader who devoured hard covered books, newspapers, and magazines. I was brought up as a UCLA Bruin baby with parents who had 5 degrees between them at UCLA. I loved the Dodgers, Angels, Lakers, and Rams. I ended up being student body president of my junior high and high school. Most of the skills I had were focused on interactions with other people. I edited the campus newspapers and was part of a champion debate team. 5 of us grew up in a house with one bathroom. My 2 brothers and I shared the same bedroom but we felt rich in everything that mattered. My grandpa was restaurant owner that ran Hillcrest Country Club, the Hollywood hangout. I grew up on my grandfathers lap while he played Jim Rummy with George Burns, Jack Benny, and Graucho Marks. My father was a high school principle who’s passion was positive human relations and fighting racism.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://steinbergspeaks.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leighsteinberg/