 |
Marques Sullivan
at the Senior Bowl
|
The first in a six-part series
The focus of every professional football organization is to win the Super Bowl. For
many sports agents, Draft Day is their Super Bowl, the culmination of a year of hard work.
They recruit clients, help them train for team workouts and vigorously promote them. Then,
the third weekend of April, many agents park in front of the television, watch the draft
and wait for a call from an NFL war room.
At the house of sports agent Steve Zucker, the phone began ringing early on the opening
day of the 2001 NFL draft. A representative from the Jacksonville Jaguars called Zucker
before the draft to express interest in one of his clients, Illinois OT Marques Sullivan.
The Jaguars were considering taking him in the second round and requested the phone number
for Sullivan’s OL coach at Illinois to obtain some last-minute information.
Near the end of the first round, Sullivan arrived at the Zucker residence with his
family and friends. Bowls of potato chips, two-liter bottles of soda and a large plate of
ham and lettuce decorated the counter. As the Jaguars’ second-round pick approached,
the phone rang. It was the Washington Redskins. They were inquiring about Mississippi
State CB Fred Smoot. Zucker had agreed to be involved in Smoot’s negotiations, but
there had been a parting of the ways earlier in the week.
Zucker gave the Redskins the phone number where Smoot could be contacted and rejoined
Sullivan’s family around the television. When the 43rd pick of the draft
came, the Jaguars had 10 minutes to choose a player. Only three offensive tackles had been
selected in the draft, and Sullivan was rated as the seventh-best OT prospect by Pro
Football Weekly draft analyst Joel Buchsbaum.
Very rarely does a team select a player without first speaking to the player himself or
his agent. With everyone watching the built-in-the-wall television intently, Zucker tried
calming his client’s nerves and providing a ray of hope.
"Sometimes it comes down to the last few minutes before a team calls," Zucker
said.
From the television, it was announced, "With the 43rd selection of the
draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars select Michigan offensive tackle Maurice Williams."
Sullivan’s father, Marshall, walked past his son and rubbed his head in
consolation. Zucker asked if he wanted to order a pizza, as did Zucker’s wife on
several occasions. Sullivan declined each offer. When his mother took a seat next to him,
he picked at the ham on her plate. It was strange to see the 6-foot-5, 338-pound giant
without an appetite, but he didn’t want to eat until he heard his name called on
ESPN. He sat in the same chair for the next three hours, biting his nails, tapping his
feet and shaking his head every so often after another selection was announced.
The phone began ringing frequently, and every time it did, the room became temporarily
silent. Zucker answered calls from Ohio State WR Reggie Germany, his other client in this
draft, along with personal calls for his family. Unfortunately for Sullivan, the second
round was complete, and no one had called for him.
As the 85th pick was being announced, the phone rang again. It was the
Buffalo Bills. They wanted to speak to Sullivan about switching from the tackle position
he played in college to guard for the Bills. After he hung up the phone, he sat on
Zucker’s backyard patio and eagerly awaited the next 10 selections. Buffalo had the
95th and final selection of the third round — the last pick of the day,
before the draft would resume again the following day.
"I just want to see my kid’s name up on the screen," Marshall Sullivan
said.
With the 95th pick, the Buffalo Bills selected Georgia OT Jonas Jennings.
The draft was complete for the day. Zucker walked to the table where Sullivan’s
mother and father were sitting and tried to rekindle their spirits.
"I had a client last year who was drafted in the fourth round and made the
All-Rookie team," Zucker said. "All Marques lost by not being drafted today is
part of the signing bonus. If he goes out and plays like he can, the money will come in
his next contract."
While Draft Day provides an opportunity for many college players to realize their
dreams of playing in the NFL, Zucker said the day rarely is a pleasant experience for
athletes waiting to be drafted.
"Draft Day is such a rough experience for a lot of people," Zucker said.
"It’s very rarely a good experience. Almost every player — I don’t
care if he’s the 15th player, he thinks he should be in the top 10 —
every player, with very few exceptions, is disappointed on Draft Day. I shouldn’t say
everyone, but most players are disappointed to some extent."
Part II: Day Two of the NFL draft |
