By midnight ET on Thursday March 4^th, every NFL club made critical decisions on which Restricted Free Agents to offer contract tenders to. This process represents the start of the new league year and in this case kicks off of the uncapped 2010 season. For SMWW this process started a day early when the Carolina Panthers offered Matt Moore the highest tender possible to a player that has accrued three seasons. Here is a break down of the tender amounts available to players like Moore:

Player with THREE Accrued Seasons

Right of First Refusal - $1,101,000
Right of First Refusal + Pick in player's original draft round - $1,101,000*
Right of First Refusal + Second-Round Draft Pick - $1,684,000*
Right of First Refusal + First-Round Draft Pick - $2,396,000*
Right of First Refusal + First- AND Third-Round Draft Picks - $3,043,000*

The level five tender that Moore received created a domino affect that resulted in veteran Jake Delhomme becoming a contract casualty and ultimately being released early Friday Morning. This move opens the door for Moore to go into the 2010 season as the outright starter for the Panthers. For agent advisor Joe Aloisi who completed the Athlete Management course with SMWW in 2006, this symbolizes the possibilities for un-drafted, unproven players to flourish and compete at the highest level of professional football.  With the tender loving care of solid supporters around them, athletes can surpass expectations. SMWW was able to support Aloisi and help him grow in to one of the most successful Agent Advisors ever. Taking the Athlete Management Course has clearly become the best investment Joe could have made in his pursuit of one day being a successful sports agent.

Similar to Carolina's tender on Moore, the Philadelphia Eagles made an offer on linebacker Akeem Jordan that purposely poses difficulties for other teams to pursue him contractually. Jordan received an offer at the second round level which means that any team looking to sign him would have to forfeit a second round pick to do so. Jordan entered the league as an un-drafted free agent like Moore and played under a league minimum contract while making his way to a starting role with the Eagles. Much like Moore in Carolina, this offer is a significant pay raise for Jordan and he is ready to show that it is well deserved. Jordan is represented by Agent Advisor Al Thomas who completed the Athlete Management Course in 2005. Both Agent Advisors, Thomas and Aloisi, are products of the SMWW system and both are shining examples that barriers in the business of athlete representation, often considered as insurmountable, can be overcome.

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started."- Mark Twain

The next Athlete Management course starts on April 5^th, 2010

SMWW graduate Vernon Johnson took the Athlete Management course in 2006. Vernon has seen success as an Agent Advisor since completion of the course and is now NBA certified. As an SMWW alumnus, we are proud to announce Vernon has just finalized a deal with the Washington Mystics of the WNBA to add his client Lauren Ervin to their roster for 2010.

In 2008, Lauren Ervin from the University of Arkansas was drafted in the third round of the WNBA draft to the Connecticut Sun. She had an amazing senior year. At the height of her college career she suffered a devastating injury. She was sidelined with a torn ACL. Her hopes for playing professional basketball in the United States were dashed.

            Vernon Johnson, a WNBA certified agent with Sports Management World Wide, had followed Lauren's career throughout college. He believed in her and her ability as a player. "I knew she could come back from her injury and excel", said Johnson. She is a fighter and I saw that in her.

            With that belief in mind, Johnson and Ervin headed to Tampa, Florida for pre-draft camp. They made the journey without an invite, to prove how much she deserved to be there and to show their fighting spirit. "I have so much belief in my clients. I always put 100% of myself into making sure they are reaching their full potential. I knew taking this leap of faith would pay off," said Johnson. It proved successful, as she was drafted.

            But, once again that fighting spirit was tested when Ervin was cut from the Connecticut roster. "I never gave up hope", Johnson said. With that hope, along with his education and experience, Johnson got her a position on a top team in Turkey where she currently leads the country in rebounding.

            The team of Johnson and Ervin proved victorious once again when Ervin was recently signed as a free agent with the Washington Mystics. "There were a number of offers but we felt the Mystics were a perfect fit", said Johnson. As an athlete trying to make it to the professional level, it is so important to have a good support system. Knowing that you have someone with great experience who not only wants the best for you but does their best to get you to the next level is unparalleled.

            "I love my job," said Johnson. "When I work with these athletes it builds a certain camaraderie. Lauren and the other athletes I work with are not only my clients, but they are my family. Through all the ups and downs, I wouldn't want it any other way."

After graduating from SMWW in, John Oluyole has moved on to become a certified CFL contract advisor and continues to have representation in the NFL, CFL, and AFL. We would like to congratulate him on his most recent signing of QB Chris Malleo to the Toronto Argonauts (CFL).

A Highly touted QB recruit from the state on NJ, Chris Malleo committed to Northwestern University with hopes of becoming the starter and leader of that team. With a great QB ahead of him in Brett Basenez (who went on to have a short stay with the Chicago Bears), Malleo opted to do what was best for the team and bulked up to play outside Linebacker. Still confident in his ability to play the quarterback position, upon graduating he packed his car with the remains from his dorm and drove to Arizona to train with a group of trainers known for their ability to prepare athletes for the next level.

Malleo, who was living out of his car and jobless, worked his way onto the Phoenix Outlaws, a minor league football team. From there he put together a convincing resume, and took his film to youtube. This caught the attention of Agent Advisor John Oluyole, whom he signed with short after. After a tryout where he showcased his talents in precision and cannon of an arm, the Toronto Argonauts signed him on the spot.

From being a backup, to changing positions, to driving across the country with the clothes on his back to pursue a dream, Chris Malleo is synonymous with dedication, perseverance, determination, and grit-all tendencies that Oluyole embodied himself as he went through the Athlete Management program. His love for the game of football propelled him to a career as a professional football player, a job that many did not believe to be possible for him to have. Malleo's story also represents what SMWW stands for as company, and serves as an example of what SMWW looks for in their clients. John Oluyole in his own words describes himself as "One who believes the impossible can become possible through belief and perseverance". With a unique story like Chris Malleo's, this seems to be a match made in heaven.

Listen to Malleo's story on AM 1060 with Kevin McCabe:

 http://phoenix.fanster.com/mccabe/files/2010/02/2-23-chris-malleo.mp3

• REGULAR SEASON RECORD
• END-OF-YEAR PAYROLL FIGURE
• PAYROLL FIGURE RANKING
• HOW DEEP THEY WENT IN THE POSTSEASON
• WHETHER THEY MADE THE WORLD SERIES
• WHETHER THEY WON OR LOST THE WORLD SERIES
• WHETHER THEY WENT IN AS A WILD CARD