What would you do if you were an NFLPA Certified Contract Advisor and one of your clients forwards you something that he received on Facebook that looks similar to the following message (which was an actual message recently sent by a third party)?
Hey what’s up [Name redacted] I understand at this point you have an agent I just want to let you know if your agent is not making you HAPPY. And he isn’t going to get you where you need to be at before the draft. Feel free to contact me any time we will take care of all of your needs until the NFL draft in April. What I mean by that. If you need housing, rental car, money in your pocket every week we will take care of that for you. My name is Windy Milcent and I work for International Athlete Management. My colleague and I have been observing you for the past few years and we believe you are extremely talented.
We believe you can make it big in the NFL with just the right kind of management. International Athlete Management works with nothing but the best with over 22 years of experience we have represented many players in the NFL such as Ed Reed of the Baltimore Raves Sean Taylor (RIP), Reggie Wayne, Bubba Frank, Jevon Kearse, and Andre Johnson. Four of the top 5 picks in the draft and 12 first rounders. My goal is to assist you in any ways that will allow you to make all your dreams come true. So if you feel that International Athlete Management is the right place for you please contact me. Looking forward to talking with you.
Thank you
Windy Milcent
[Telephone number redacted]
Yes, this Facebook message was actually sent to a player who has a signed Standard Representation Agreement with a certified agent. And who is Windy Milcent? There is not much to garner from his Facebook page. It says he is the owner of “Detroit Sports Nation,” and the message he sent to the represented player states that he works for International Athlete Management.
The only International Athlete Management I know of is the company run by Raymond J. Brothers, Esq. I have a feeling that Brothers would never give this Windy Milcent the blessing to recruit on his behalf. After doing a bit of research, I found Milcent to be the Registered Agent of a company called Sports Nation Management, Inc., but that company failed to file its annual report and is now considered to be inactive.
What’s the moral of this story? There are a lot of very shady characters out there in the world of football recruiting. You must be aware that they exist and inform/warn your clients that they may be approached by them without any solicitation on their part. And they will say just about anything, including that they have represented guys like Jevon Kearse, Reggie Wayne, and even Bubba Frank(s?).
UPDATE (4/5/12 6:03pm) - Put Raymond J. Brothers, Esq. aside. It appears unfortunate that he just happens to be a part of a company that uses common words in its title. There is also a company International Athlete Management, Inc. that used to exist in the State of Florida. According to the Florida Department of State Division of Corporations, that company had an Officer/Director by the name of Eugene Mato. Mato, who is now the Manager of Mato Sports Management, LLC, lives in Coral Gables, Florida. Windy Milcent’s Facebook page says he lives in Coral Springs, Florida.
Windy’s message to the represented football player (above) states that he works for an International Athlete Management that has represented Ed Reed, Sean Taylor, Reggie Wayne, Bubba Franks, Jevon Kearse, and Andre Johnson. I have found articles referencing the fact that Mato has, at one time or the other, represented or worked in some other capacity with Ed Reed, Sean Taylor, Bubba Franks, Andre Johnson, and Jevon Kearse, and has been suspended by the NFLPA in the past.
I reached out to Windy, and he said that he is working with an agent, and that his new company is Football First, Inc, which does appear to be an active company in the State of Florida. Windy is listed as the President of the company. The only other officer is a man named James W. Cleveland III.
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This article originally appeared on the Sports Agent Blog.