Greetings!
This email is directed at any NFLPA-certified contract advisor interested in how the NFL draft works as well as the months leading up to the draft. Note: We are not endorsed, sponsored, or otherwise affiliated with the NFLPA.
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We're a couple weeks from the exam now, and a lot of people who'll be taking the exam are just now getting authorization to come to D.C. from the NFLPA. That means we're picking up new people to the newsletter. At the same time, we're getting a few panicked responses from others. Let's take a minute to reset things.
First of all, relax:
Last year at this time, we had one agent ask several times if we've literally talked to NFLPA officials to verify that our test is accurate (we haven't). We had one agent - whom I know is taking this process seriously and has been preparing for over a year - say he was "humbled" by the difficulty of our second exam last year, while another one this year said simply, "
Exam #2 was hard."
We did that on purpose; we want the second practice exam to fully prepare you for the real test.
Try to relax: We've gotten other semi-panicked responses from agent hopefuls over the last week or so. I attribute all of this to natural concerns about the exam and the imminence of July 18. Hey, nobody wants to do this twice, and I get it. I also understand that it's a tough test. But if you've been preparing for months, and you've used
our study guide
and at least
our first exam
, the facts are that you are about 30 percentage points more likely to pass than the general population. That's what we've learned after reviewing the results of our clients over the past five years.
There's still time:
At this point, it's certainly not early to start studying. At the same time, you're going to meet several people in D.C. who will have not cracked the CBA until landing at Reagan, and maybe even checking into the Ritz. Usually, they're attorneys who've already passed the bar, spent years looking at contracts, and expect a fairly straightforward test. Those people will be in trouble, but you're not those people. What's more, even some of them pass, and you're way ahead of them.
Late to the party:
If you just started receiving this email over the last week or so, you've missed several editions of our newsletter. This means you've missed plenty of takes on the exam and the encouragement, I think, that comes with hearing from rookie agents who have players in the league already. The good news is that we've compiled June's newsletters here, if you want to catch up. I recommend you do.
The next two weeks:
In the coming days, you'll hear from three agents - Tory Dandy (CAA), John Thornton (Roc Nation) and Malki Kawa (First-Round Management) - who were in your shoes in the last 3-4 years, but have already had first-rounders in their short careers as contract advisors. The following week, we'll focus more on the last preparation for getting there and any final tips. Just keep on trucking, spending lots of time in the study guide and/or the CBA and taking and re-taking the practice exams, and I like your chances. As always, we're here if you need us.
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Inside The League
is the consulting service for the football industry. We work with the contract advisors for about two-thirds of active NFL players as well as the combine trainers, financial planners, scouts, coaches and other pro league organizers that make up the game. Cost is $29.95/month, and you can cancel at any time. To register, click here. Also check out our new free blog, Succeed in Football. Copyright Neil Stratton and ITL.
Sincerely,
 Neil Stratton
President
Inside the League
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