David Weinshel of Paragon Sports in South Dartmouth, Mass. is the agent for Middletown High football great Sam Scott, who is an NFL prospect after an outstanding career at West Chester University and standout performance at the Division II Cactus Bowl all-star game.
Q: How much did Sam's Cactus Bowl MVP performance enhance his prospects?
A: I think it help put him more on the map, coming from D-II program, its harder to make it to the next level, you really have to dominate or stand out from the crowd because the level of competition is not on the same level as Ohio State, Texas, Florida etc.
You need to give teams a reason to take a look at you and to bring you in. I think his Cactus Bowl performance against top D-II talent really helped him set himself above the rest of the competition. He has some great numbers in terms of tackles and stats, to go along with his tremendous size and length.
Scouts have already came through this year to West Chester, but I think his performance at the Cactus Bowl really reaffirmed that he has the athletic ability to play at the next level and the desire, as well as made some scouts double check their notes. Without the desire, no matter how good your talent is, you’re not going to make it.
Q: What does being a two-sport college athlete do for Sam's profile?
A: I think it helps and it hurts at the same time, if I may be totally candid. He is going to be well-conditioned. But what if he sustains an injury on the court? Also, he is sacrificing valuable hours where he could be working out full time and training for his pro day.
But at the same time, it really helps, shows his athletic ability. I think when it comes to mini camp and training camp, he will be well conditioned, more than most rookies coming in because of basketball.
Q: Is playing on the Division II level a big question mark for NFL scouts?
A: It’s not be perceived as playing at Florida, or USC, but his skill at playing football is no less diminished. You make the most of your situation. If you stand out, and become a playmaker at any level, it identifies you as someone who can go to the next level. Scouts will see that you are dominating at that level, and will draw more interest.
There obviously are some question marks with guys at the D-II level, but at the same time, outside a few first round picks, there are question marks on everyone else in the draft too, not just Sam.
Q: How important are the pro day workout sessions for scouts compared to what Sam has already done on the field?
A: Pro day is extremely vital. A good performance will be significant. Sam has done great work on the field, and compares well to other top players at his position, but pro day is a final day to impress scouts. He needs to stand out and give teams a reason to take a look at him, and really turn some heads.
If Sam runs a 4.8 in the 40 then he hurts his chances a bit. If he puts on a few pounds and runs great – which he will, I have no doubt – there are going to be teams and scouts who didn’t have him on their radar, or who didn’t attend the pro day who are going to take an interest in him and potentially take a second look at him.
A very good pro day can sometimes be the difference between being draft, free agency.
Q: As an agent, what's most important about being a sort of middleman between player and team?
A: There are so many important facets of what we do, that it’s hard to pinpoint the most important.
Many things are out of anyone's control. We believe every facet is important whether, talking to teams, preparing packets for scouts or coaches, setting up meetings at the combine, or creating highlight DVDs.
One critical element that really stands out is managing expectations of your players. When scouts start to call the player to gather information and show interest, especially as the draft approaches, players get excited at times may misconstrue what the attention means.
A good agent tries to make sure the player understands hype from real interest and it’s our job to really manage their expectations.
Q: What led you to become an agent?
A: Long story, so I’ll keep it to under 25 minutes. Basically I interned in college for an agent in Boston and then moved on to someone else. When I graduated I knew what I didn’t want and I didn’t want a cubicle job from 9-5. And I knew I wanted to work on sports, I really wanted to help players out, because I saw so many people get burned or hurt because of bad management, bad advice and so on.
Once a player makes it at the next level, all of the sudden they have so many new relatives and friends they never knew about. Many need help financially, help on how to start a business and how to invest.
So, it just started in college, when I interned at an agent who represented a buddy of mine and I ran with it, fell in love and just worked harder than anyone else to make it. Just put everything I had and decided to see where it went. It’s a lot of work and responsibility, which most people don’t realize.
A good agent needs to be on call 24/7, I need to worker harder to be available all the time. Everyone says “Oh you’re like Jerry Maguire.” But, in reality it is not as glamorous.
I have lost relationships over my desire and dedication to my clients. I am at peace with that, because at the end of the day, my duty is to do whatever I can to make sure players have an opportunity to play at the next level.
Once players get to the NFL, I need to do my part to make sure they stay there. It goes beyond a client/agent relationship; you build a trust and a friendship that goes beyond football and the scope of the business. If that means picking up the phone at 2 a.m. to figure out why the car payment won't go through on online, then so be it.
