Pro Mindset® Podcast

College Sports are Now The Pros with Emily Staker

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In this episode of Pro Mindset® Podcast, host Craig Domann sits down with leading NIL agent, attorney, NFLPA-certified agent, professor, and sports industry expert Emily Staker to explore the rapidly evolving landscape of college athletics. From navigating the shift toward direct school compensation to protecting high school recruits from unethical actors, Emily’s insight on trust and player development provides a vital playbook for families. 

Emily shares her experiences with AI-driven compliance portals, the critical role of family values in long-term success, and why chasing the highest bidder can derail an athlete's dream of reaching the NFL. She emphasizes the importance of relational recruitment, non-monetary factors in the transfer portal, and maintaining professionalism in a cutthroat business. Emily also highlights the vital role of legal discernment and lifelong mentorship.

Additionally, Emily interned with Pro Football Camp, and then with Craig in his NFL representation business. Their friendship and mutual respect shines through this conversation. It's a reminder that Craig entered this business not to guard territory, but to help people achieve their goals and dreams — and Emily is living proof of that. Now that's a Pro Mindset.

Episode Takeaways: 

💡 Guidance—Prioritize Trust and Family

💡 Leverage—Understand Market Value Dynamics 

💡 Focus—Value Development Over Dollars

📲Connect with Emily:

🌐Website: https://the.team/sports-talent/nfl-american-football

📸Instagram: @emily_staker

👋LinkedIn: @Emily S.

🚀 Ready to Build a Mindset That Powers You Through Anything?
If Emily’s insights on guidance and leverage inspire you, the Pro Mindset® Coaching Program can help you align your potential with purpose and adaptability.


 👉 Learn more or apply at www.ProMindsetPodcast.com/coaching or reach out directly to Craig at Craig.ProMindset@gmail.com. For athlete representation, send your resume and cover letter stating why you want to do an NFL/NIL Representation internship to: tbdomann@gmail.com. 

#ProMindset #Mindset #CraigDomann #ProMindsetPodcast #Transformation #Belief #Subsconscious #EmilyStaker #Mind #Money #NCAA #NIL #NFL #SturmCollegeofLaw #Law #Sports #SportsLaw #Attorney #SportsAttorney #UniversityofDenver #Denver #360Sports #NILRepresentation#NFLAgent #Recruiting #Confidence #Family

PRO MINDSET (00:

01.708) Okay, Emily, here's the thing. You are you are one of the leading NIL agents in the college football space. How different is that than representing NFL guys? What's the what are some of the differences, similarities, challenges, things like that?

Emily Staker (00:

23.404) I think one of the biggest differences is obviously you're you're contacting these kids when they're much younger. You know, back in the day before NAL, we weren't reaching out to players until their sophomore or junior year of college. And now the expectation for us is to be reaching out to these kids and their parents when they're sophomores in high school, you know, before even sometimes they get their star rating. And so that for me, especially as an attorney, definitely changes my interaction. I mean, of course, in reaching out to a minor, the first thing I'm asking is, what's the best way to get a hold of mom and dad? You know, I I really try to minimize contact directly with the the minor as much as possible. Just frankly, they're not equipped to have any of those conversations anyway. So a lot of it just comes down to, you know, the ethics involved and the types of conversations you're having. It's a lot more focused on education. You know, I do think that an NFL agent, of course, tries to integrate as much education as possible when they are speaking to a player, but from an NIL perspective, the landscape is changing so quickly and so often that really that first conversation for So many families, they don't have any context for what NAL is, how it works. Many don't even really understand that schools are able to compensate players directly now. So I think a lot of it has become much more distilled into building that basic sense of trust, you know, showing that you are someone that has integrity and that they can trust you with their son or with their daughter. But it definitely has become a much different process than it used to be.

PRO MINDSET (02:

16.142) Where are where have you found that parents are misguided, blind and just not not living in the reality of the sport and this the business of the sport at the college level?

Emily Staker (02:

33.942) I think especially in the context of football, right? Football families. Unfortunately, the transcendence of NAL has created different values, right? And now, especially for very talented players, oftentimes parents are all business. And they believe that protecting their son's value includes going to the highest bidder, typically, which can reflect the best place for him, but not necessarily. So some of the biggest challenges that we have are those conversations that basically, you know, we're trying to communicate, yes, this school might be offering the most, but he'd be the fifth tight end on the roster, right? He might not ever see the field. And so having those more realistic conversations of is the culture a good fit? Does it matter that he's close to home or are you okay? traveling from Seattle to Florida for every game. Can you afford that as a family? You know, having those other considerations at play are things that some families haven't even contemplated. you know, do you trust the coach? Is the trust is the coach going to stay there for another season or is he gone? You know, and so my focus with all of these kids when we're looking at from a high school perspective where they're going to college is Where can we put you that you will actually see the field and stay for at least three, if not four years? Right. And that that's the ultimate goal for every single kid that we work with.

PRO MINDSET (04:

12.59) Okay, so do you do you find that most young student athletes, especially in the high school level at the high school level, have a dream of playing in the NFL?

Emily Staker (04:

22.934) I think most of the players that I talk to, that is their dream. You know, one just by virtue of typically we're talking to the kids who are the best player on their high school team, right? And so, that's everyone's goal for them and mom and dad.

PRO MINDSET (04:

37.732) Okay. So it is. It is. So Len, here's the c here's the real question. Do they understand that if they go to the biggest place that's offering them the most money and they don't get on the field that they're not gonna ever play in the NFL?

Emily Staker (04:

52.51) No. And that is the biggest challenge, right? And it's also the biggest complaint that we hear at the combine every year is that these kids are getting harder and harder to scout because they're transferring or they're going to places where they don't play.

PRO MINDSET (05:

10.287) Okay, so let's pretend that you're representing a student athlete and they've got five official visits. They go, they let's say they only go on three, and you haven't even spoken about money with the universities yet. And they they decided to they even against your advice, they decide to commit to what they're to school number three, and it leaves you in a position where you've got to call school four and five and say, Not coming. And then you get to negotiate with school number three without ever having talked about money. And they've already got your client. How do you handle that situation?

Emily Staker (05:

53.592) Think it really depends on the kid and understanding why they committed to that program. if it is a great fit, then that's a very easy conversation, frankly, because then you don't have to worry about the family coming back and being upset that maybe they didn't get the most money available, right? And that is the biggest emphasis of why education is so important is so that they understand the implication of those kinds of actions of committing early without talking to your agent. But You know, I will say typically in terms of conversations with other schools, I have found those to be, you know, pretty easy because I try to go about them with as much respect as possible, understanding from a coaching perspective, recruiting perspective, how much time and energy they have put into this player. And again, with the portal, you never know, you know, that player might end up finding a home there later. That's very possible. And so you never want to unnecessarily burn a bridge if you don't have to. And also as a professional, you know, those are people that if you're doing this with multiple players, you're going to have to have a working relationship with later. So I think trying to handle those conversations with as much care and respect and coming directly from you. If you can't get the player to have a conversation with those coaches, you know, which is my preference, then I definitely am willing to step in and have that hard conversation. But you know, making sure that they feel respected in it is very important to me. In terms of negotiating, then, you know, of course you can be a little limited in your leverage if they just commit straight out. But you know, understanding why they committed and also having a good understanding of the position market, I think is the most important. And that is one benefit to NAL having taken shape now for a few years is We're starting to get a really good feel for what the market demands per conference and per position. So we're starting to see pay scales for a tackle in the SEC versus a quarterback in the Big Ten. We're getting a good feel for what they're being compensated. So that is the best leverage. And it that in in that sense is a lot more akin to the NFL, where you're able to see, you know, what is the market sustaining for a player of a similar rating.

Emily Staker (08:

14.722) you know, similar skills, similar on the field experience and really, you know, just go into it fact intensive with the stats to back it up and try and get them the best value.

PRO MINDSET (08:

25.562) So describe for the audience, because they probably don't realize that the NFL PAA has a salary database with everybody's contract and they analyze it 16 different ways, how much how much money is guaranteed, how much the first three years, what's the average overall, all those type things. And share with everyone what it's like representing an NIL athlete.

Emily Staker (08:

50.464) Yeah, it was very difficult when it first started, because we had no publicly available information as to who was getting what, particularly in the era where the collectives were doing the majority of payment to athletes. However, now because of the house settlement last summer and because we have these rev share deals now going forward where schools are paying athletes directly, All public universities have to disclose that through FOIA requests. So that information is now publicly available. with private schools It's becoming more difficult, However, we're still able to, you know, particularly at a bigger agency, get a feel for what a school like Notre Dame is paying you know, what some of these private institutions are paying. So in this world, it's the same and same logic where you know, knowledge is power. and without it, it's really difficult to navigate.

PRO MINDSET (09:

45.323) Out. And then some programs are still doing a combination of Rev share and NIL payments from the collective to subsidize the 20-some million they they get to spend. So there's really no salary cap in college football because it's just a budget, and that when you need more, you just go somewhere else to get the money. Right.

Emily Staker (10:

10.796) Yeah. Yeah.

PRO MINDSET (10:

13.615) And many of those schools are doing two contracts, right? With the athlete. Right.

Emily Staker (10:

19.628) Yes, so it is a bit of a convoluted process at the Division I level because they are subject to approval through the NALGO platform, which was created as a product of the house settlement. It's run by Deloitte, the accounting firm. And basically, from my understanding, there's very limited information as to the review process, but my understanding is they're using heavily AI-informed models. To determine whether deals that are submitted to them are reflective of fair business value or fair market value, and then approving them on a case-by-case basis or rejecting them and telling the student athlete, this is not reflective of a fair amount of work for the value offered and you need to go revise it. So all of that is contingent upon approval from the NIL Go platform.

PRO MINDSET (11:

12.977) So how does that NIL Go platform work in terms of you have a student athlete, they agree to terms, maybe months before national signing date? Then they're that's when they're gonna sign their, they're gonna sign their scholarship papers, and they're gonna get a statement monthly that has nothing to do with this NIA, the Rev share. How does the NIL Go? platform work in terms of timing because are the universities because like student athlete wants to maximize his options. So if he finds us out after he's on campus, that's a problem. how does that work?

Emily Staker (11:

57.74) Well, it's a great question that I think a lot of agents are still trying to figure out. And frankly, you know, if you don't take the time to review the laws that are in place and understand from a compliance perspective what you have to do, you can get into a lot of trouble. And one main thing when you're representing high school athletes is you absolutely need to review what the state laws are. Like for example, in Colorado, it has its own state laws for how high schoolers are paid and how those deals can be structured. And so that should always be starting point number one when you're working with, you know, an a high school player who's committing to a college is understanding, am I complying with the state laws? Am I a sports agent registered in that state? That should actually be step zero. And then of course, you know, making sure that you're timing it correctly. Typically universities understand that you cannot reflect that you're paying this high school recruit yet. So they come up with deals through the collective to compensate them. However, if they are paying them directly, then they absolutely need to report it through the NALGO process. What I suggest as an agent to my clients is that we don't sign anything. We don't put ink to paper until the terms of the deal have been submitted through the NALGO portal. And only upon acceptance do we actually sign the deal. Because the last thing that you want from a contract law perspective is to sign the deal and then have it rejected through the portal. And now you have a valid contract, right? There's no legal mechanism. NAL Go's rejection doesn't nullify the contract by law under contract law yet. NAL Go and the College Sports Commission, they're not a legal entity to the extent that they would be able to avoid a contract. So You either need to negotiate in the contract that it's subject to NALGO approval or wait and only sign it after it's approved. And that timing is really critical because it just becomes an absolute mess from an enforcement standpoint if you are signing it and they're already paying your player prior to NALGO approving it.

PRO MINDSET (14:

16.731) Well, I'm sure the schools are getting this figured out because the last thing they want to do is spend money on players that the NIL go is not going to approve the amounts. Okay, let's go through what's the difference in dynamics between representing like a top like an NFL. There is a difference in dynamics between representing a first rounder and a seventh rounder or an undrafted guy.

Emily Staker (14:

44.376) Yeah, absolutely.

PRO MINDSET (14:

46.039) And it's trickled down. So if you have a five-star or top hundred athlete, let's say consensus top hundred athlete talking about football, different game than if he's a top a thousand athlete. And those, you know, a thousand athletes are still gonna get NIO money, Rev share money.

Emily Staker (14:

59.683) Mm-hmm.

Emily Staker (15:

06.606) Yep. Mm-hmm.

PRO MINDSET (15:

15.729) They're not just gonna sign three guys. So how how does that look?

Emily Staker (15:

22.806) I think a lot of it in terms of the difference comes down to family values and support. And it really shows in terms of the players that I want to work with, and I feel I believe you feel the same way, are the ones who care the most about seeing the field and not just seeing it but doing well on it, right? Like keeping the main thing the main thing. I know you you said that's very important to you when we talked previously. I mean, there's a lot more. Of that in NAL, where players are starting to, and I I do think a lot of it is a product of just this generation of young men and women who have a greater emphasis on social media, and it it plays a much greater role in their life where they start to fixate on their brand online, and it takes away from what their brand should be, which is a great football player, right? And so that's really the thing that. I am looking for when I'm deciding if I'm going to sign a player or not, or what are his family values? You know, has has he really integrated those into his own values? What is he looking for in a program? Is he showing up early to lifts in the morning? Right? Is does he have the work ethic that actually supports a long-term career into the NFL? You know, I those character things become more and more important because frankly, we are seeing that. Players might be extremely talented in the NAL space, but if they get distracted or their values are are off in a way that doesn't support them playing, you know, oftentimes it's wasted and they don't even see the NFL.

PRO MINDSET (17:

08.995) Okay, so let's w I've got two places I can go. One is a young man finds himself on college campus. He's frustrated because he's not getting on the field. And he has to choose between it's my fault. I didn't develop the relationship with my coaches. I didn't work hard. I didn't earn the trust of my strength coach. I didn't the inputs and his outputs were not were not where they needed to be. Now he needs a change of scenery. And unlike, you know. It was 10 years ago, and you had to sit out and you couldn't transfer in your conference, and there was a lot of different rules. You can go to your arch rival. You can you can go in the transfer portal. Explain the pros and cons and the right use of the transfer portal versus the wrong use of the transfer.

Emily Staker (18:

00.63) Yeah, I mean it's a it's a lot of the same in the sense of your rival might be offering the most money, but they might have a league ready starter who is never gonna give you his spot, right? And so being smart about where you go is just as important as when you're making that initial decision. And we see players, it's devastating seeing players go somewhere, especially, you know. in a position, let's say like a receiver, right? Where having chemistry with your quarterback is make or break on if you're getting targets. If you go and you're signing a new NAL contract and it's double what you're making previously, but you have zero relationship with your new quarterback, he already has his guys. He already knows he's got three returning starters. He knows the tight end, he knows the wideout, he he knows everybody that he's gonna throw the ball to. He doesn't know you. you know, you're already at a disadvantage. And so I think those are things that players are not necessarily seeing, especially if they don't have, you know, a good advisor in this process, where then they're going and they're actually tanking their long-term value and tanking their ability to get scouted because they're simply not getting targeted. So those are things for me that I feel are are very much those should be what make or break your decision on where you go is Do you have any kind of relationship at this new school? Do you have any trust there? Are you going to be able to build that bond with whomever it is, even on defense? You know, that team chemistry still matters. And so, you know, really understanding how it's going to impact your play on the field, I think, is the most important decision. But of course, you know, the money does matter, right? And typically schools are more inclined to pay players that they actually expect to play. So those are things that you do want to take into account, but it's not everything and it should not be the end all be all.

PRO MINDSET (20:

03.815) So one of the things that I used to do with like NFL guys when they were hitting free agency, everybody hits free agency typically to get more money. And they can say it's for other reasons, like they want to play in a warm weather area, they want to be closer to home, all those kind of things. And those are fair, but it's really money motivated. But the reality of it is to make the best decision. You have to look at all the non-monetary factors. And if that, if if it passes that test, then you bring the money in. Because there may be two or three organizations where the non-monetary factors all line up. And that's what you just described to me for these college guys when they go in the portal. They need to look at the non-monetary factors first.

Emily Staker (20:

58.382) Absolutely. Yeah.

PRO MINDSET (21:

00.145) Because if you're making fifty G's more and it misses your it it it like corrupts or you know, like stops your ability to go to the league, that fifty thousand was not worth it.

Emily Staker (21:

15.552) Not at all. No.

PRO MINDSET (21:

16.719) Okay. So how do you not manipulate? How do you educate and influence families, parents, and athletes so that they do keep the main thing, the main thing, they focus on the non-manetary factors, and you let them know, hey, I'm gonna negotiate my fanny off to get you the most money. But if these other things are not in place, no amount of money is gonna be enough. So what is your perspective on that?

Emily Staker (21:

46.57) Well, I think discernment, right? Having discernment in this process. And I know you and I have discussed the role of faith and all of this, but really leaning on discernment in navigating these challenges with families is so critical. And what I mean by that is, you know, you and I have been in this industry long enough and even just had a working knowledge of who these coaches are or how these schools operate that we're able to better discern. what statements mean and especially when it comes to recruiting, right? Because recruiting in college is a one of a kind experience, right? It you definitely do not get wined and dined in the same level ever again. Not even in the NFL, because guess what? They just draft you if they want you. They don't have to say a word to you. And if they have the draft pick, they can take you. Versus, you know, the recruitment process is still A major factor in families deciding. However, some programs are now leaning on the NAL component a lot more heavily than than the relational aspect. And I see that as a disadvantage to recruiting because it just it doesn't elicit that trust. It doesn't say, you know, you are most important to us. And so I think that is. The biggest focus for me when I see recruiting conversations take place is the contents of the conversation. You know, are they just saying we're gonna pay you this much? Or is it this is our vision for you? We develop guys into pros and this is how we're gonna get you there. Do they have that experience? You know, to have have how many guys that they have drafted last year, right? Really deciphering what exactly they're saying in their recruitment messaging And then deciphering it for the client to, you know, really be able to make an informed decision. And unfortunately, there's there's a lot of kids who are misled during recruiting. And it is very sad. And that is one benefit to the post house era and the NIL era is that kids are able to transfer if they were misled heavily, you know, and they show up and they never play a snap and they need to go somewhere else.

Emily Staker (24:

07.862) I do see that as a positive in that they're able to find a better fit for them, but you never want to get there in the first place, right? As an agent, that's your worst nightmare on the NAL level. And so just using a greater level of discernment is so important in this process. And again, it's just I have better relationships with some college programs than others. And I have a greater understanding of is this coach going to walk the walk? Is what he's saying the truth? Do I have any information of he's probably going to take a job in January or maybe even November? Right. So understanding kind of the context of what's being said, who is saying it, and really being able to inform the client of its legitimacy, I feel is so important in that process.

PRO MINDSET (24:

55.675) So what I heard was in the NFL, the entrance is through the draft, and the athletes are property rights. And the entry into college is recruiting, and it's either a relationship or it's money, or it's a combination of the two. And it's more difficult for the high school guys because they've

Emily Staker (25:

06.53) Yes.

PRO MINDSET (25:

23.323) They've got to rely upon people like you to give them counsel. But there's a lot of people that are not like you in this business that are just going to say, follow the money. but let's say a young man in football decides to select a school for all the right reasons. And the the centerpiece of the of the rationale for picking this school is the relationship he has with, let's say, a group of coaches. And he commits. five, six, eight, ten months before signing day. And that coaching staff is uber successful and they all leave. What are you recommending to your to your client in that situation?

Emily Staker (26:

10.762) I mean it it depends. I've had this exact situation where I I've had a kid on campus in January and the entire coaching staff left two weeks later. So he got to campus, he was an early commit and they were all gone. And the new coaching staff came in and said, We don't have a spot for you and what do you do? Right. And especially in those situations where maybe that previous coaching staff goes to a new level, they may not have a spot for you either. And you might have been their guy and now they have access to five stars only and you're not their guy anymore because you were a four-star. So that happens and for that reason I I very much try to push against this narrative that's taken place against you know how how athletes are abusing the transfer portal. Because it it does happen, don't get me wrong, and it's usually to their disadvantage again from an evaluation perspective. However, that kid absolutely deserved the right to then choose a program where he could actually play and have relationships with, right? And so he ended up in that situation going to a new program of equal competitiveness, but it was another coach that had recruited him out of high school that we kept that relationship positive. And they wanted him within minutes of us reaching out. And so I think that is one of the biggest things, you know, if you're a parent going through this process with your high school, you know, player, making sure that you're professional and you're respectful and that you're communicating well with all of these coaches, all of these programs is so important because you just never know and you you don't ever want to put your son in a position where he is at a disadvantage now with his opportunities because a a bridge was burned, right? And so really trying to go about it in a professional and respectful way, you never know how that will come around to benefit you later.

PRO MINDSET (28:

15.207) For those of you that are listening that have a student athlete son or daughter, what Emily said there was so important because you've got to stay in touch and treat everyone with respect, regardless of what one you choose, because your paths are gonna cross potentially again. And she just said that because her athlete and she stayed in touch. There was a landing spot, a soft landing spot for that athlete. one of the one of the things I've seen probably over the last seven, eight years in college sports is that conversation where we don't have a spot for you anymore. And that's the worst, that's literally the worst position to be in on a team. Coach calls you in. Sometimes they're delusional. They think it's to be complimented.

Emily Staker (29:

06.008) Mm-hmm.

PRO MINDSET (29:

13.797) Or get a bump in pay, and they're asking them to leave. So going back to that scenario that you gave just a second ago about the young man was on campus in January. This this the coaches left a couple weeks later. If that happens in 2027, this January, you can't go in the portal for another 11, 12 months.

Emily Staker (29:

16.398) Yeah.

PRO MINDSET (29:

42.075) So that is crazy. So what would you do in that situation? Because, you know, I'm unless say I'm a dad and you call me and say, hey, got some bad news. School just called me and said they don't want your son anymore. My first thought is, I don't want to move back home. I mean, where's he gonna go? Should he just go there and be a student? What how does that all how does that play out?

Emily Staker (30:

01.274) Right. 06.432) Yeah, I mean typically in that situation and I am seeing it even now in football with teams just now this year cutting their rosters down to that hundred and five limit where they are telling guys you can't come back, we don't have a spot for you. And they're doing that in May or in June where they can't get in the portal. And so that is a shortcoming with how these procedures have changed, is there is nothing for those players there unless, you know, one of the things that I do in my capacity as an attorney is we we prepare what are called legislative relief waivers, which are then submitted to the NCAA. And one mechanism for that is you can ask for relief from the specific bylaw regarding the portal for Division I, you know, football players, and ask that they be put in the portal in those situations where they're made aware that they don't have a roster spot after the portal is closed. So that's one option. As of right now, from what I have seen, the NCAA will consider some. Others, if it's not a clear instance of, you know, they if they knew that they probably weren't going to play when the portal was open, they are more reluctant to approve it. But if they were truly blindsided and they had every expectation of playing, then we are seeing some success going that route. However, the other thing that we are seeing now with all of the pending legislation and this new age-based eligibility model is basically the NCAA is saying you can get one transfer and play right away, but other than that, you are going to have to sit out that extra season. And so what I don't know is if any of this new legislation, there's the Save College Sports Act that's pending, you know, if they're gonna have any mechanisms timing wise. For transferring, I would hope that it would be considered, or at least the legislative waiver process would be reserved for these student athletes who are in situations like this where they're then having to burn an entire season with no roster spot, especially with the age-based eligibility model. Now, you have five years, right? That's it. There's no other years, there's no medical hardship seasons, your eligibility is done after five. And so

Emily Staker (32:

31.498) I am hopeful that the amount of schools who are actively lobbying and the interest, the student athletes who are speaking up to our policymakers, I hope that that is a consideration that they really think on and try and include because it is a true injustice that especially football players are only able to transfer in that window now when a lot of these rosters are not getting set until June or sometimes even July.

PRO MINDSET (32:

59.311) Okay, let's walk through this again. I wanna g I wanna dig deeper real quick. So we have a waiver available, but what the NCAA should do is legislate a new bylaw of some sort that says if you're kicked off the one five. You either have the option of leaving at that point, going into the portal, or you have the option to stay in school and take the school's money and stick to them for the rest of the year if you want to sit out the rest of the year. Which I think most guys would probably rather transfer. But there's some that are already done with football. Maybe that's the reason why they're not on the one five. They contributed to that with their

Emily Staker (33:

22.499) Yeah. 30.317) Yes. 35.31) Right.

PRO MINDSET (33:

45.989) their actions or lack of commitment. And they may just want to stick it to the schools and say, I'm just going to get the rest of my, you know, negotiated ref share and then hit the portal. So how so there's there's just no black and white in this thing because there's bad motives for both sides. How do you how do you kind of weigh that? If you were, if you were like you were in charge at the Incible related to this issue. Where's that sweet spot?

Emily Staker (34:

17.634) Well, you know, the NCAA has delegated a lot of this decision making to conferences if the conferences elect to take it. So especially with the transfer window, typically when you're doing your initial petition to get into the portal for the SEC example, it does go to the conference for review. And I actually think that that's helpful because the conference understands more program specific nuance. So they're gonna be more aware of hey, this team and it it doesn't even have to be the football team. We're still seeing roster adjustments from all different sports due to the house implementation where they might know, okay, this team actually cut eight players and they all need to go in the portal. They're gonna have more knowledge of that. And so I I think frankly also unfortunately the NCAA is not a very efficient organization. And so the conference tends to meet regularly. They have subcommittees they they meet at least quarterly, if not more, depending on the conference. So they have better mechanisms in place to have more efficient review of these requests. So I personally, from what I've seen in those processes, am more in favor of it going to the conference. But the one thing that I do think would be the most beneficial is having some kind of student athlete representation in those decisions, or at least having the student athlete present to pres be heard, you know, actually show up to some kind of hearing and be heard of how it's affecting them because it's incredibly disempowering to be in that situation and to receive back a one sentence of your waivers denied, not enough evidence or not enough, you know, the their reasoning from my experience is not very thorough. And that is deeply disempowering to a student athlete to hear that an a nameless subcommittee made a decision that completely affects the trajectory of their life and their playing career and there's no justification. So I do feel that humanizing that process more and making whoever is reviewing it actually look the student athlete in the eye and ask their questions and understand that it is a human being, a young person's life that they

Emily Staker (36:

38.662) are you know making a decision on I think that that would be a lot more helpful of a process.

PRO MINDSET (36:

45.073) That's a great answer. Okay. It's not ideal for a student athlete to go in the portal, you know, two, three, four times, and they may be limiting it to one. But who are the let's stick to football? Who are the student athletes that play football that can utilize and leverage the transfer portal to to get to a bigger school and maybe to make more money? Who like what's the what's like the The transfer portal was made for those guys.

Emily Staker (37:

23.118) Hmm. Yeah. I I think that it's a great tool for the underdog, right? The kids who and again, we're talking about young men who oftentimes aren't done even growing until they're twenty one, twenty-two. I mean, you know, with your sons, it can take a while. And so a lot of times they may come out with two or three offers and they have to choose from just whoever will even take them. And then, you know, they have a phenomenal season or a few seasons and they are given that opportunity to play at a higher level. I think that it can be extremely impactful in their career if it's a true change where they're able to actually play and it's a higher or more competitive level, right? If you're lateraling for more money, I usually try to dissuade the player against that. I don't think it's worth it. But if it's a true jump, let's say f you know, to a different conference, you're going to the SEC, you know, you're gonna be a starter, or if you're young enough and you're gonna be a backup to the starter and actually develop behind a future NFL player, you know, that can still be worth it, but it has to be, you know, a marked increase in the quality of play and the quality of competition. Because ultimately, and you know this better than anyone, NFL evaluators are looking at how do they do against other future NFL players, right? That's what they want to see is do they have success against a Georgia, against a Michigan, against an Ohio State? Can they, you know, hold their own against other players that will be drafted one day? That is ultimately what an evaluator wants to see. And so from a portal perspective, that should always be kind of top of mind is. Where can I go that is the most competitive, but also can I compete there? Not just sit on the bench, not just wear all the cool Nike merch, but actually play. And if you can do that, then typically it is worth the transfer.

PRO MINDSET (39:

24.335) Okay, so let's look at it from an NFL Scouts perspective. You know, it's more difficult to scout a young man who's jumped to two or three schools. But on the other side, they get an opportunity to see how they make adjustments, how they learn new schemes, how they make first impressions again, how maybe they leave behind their freshman immaturity and show up at their third place a different person. So kind of describe, you know, like in your from your experience and your conversations with NFL people, how the portal jumping works for players and works against players.

Emily Staker (40:

07.234) Yeah. It can absolutely work for them, especially with some of these college programs that have former NFL personnel there, right? And kind of run it akin to how they maybe ran their NFL team. And there's a lot of congruencies there. particularly, you know, a lot of these programs who have those NFL ties have a lot more scouts, area scouts coming in weekly, right? And so Looking at schools that have those relationships, you know, just getting scouted sometimes can be a major challenge for some of these kids. So knowing that there's gonna be scouts in the film room every week and you can go and shake their hand and introduce yourself, that's a real advantage. But yeah, I think that there is something to be said about Going somewhere where you know that you will be challenged and rising to the challenge. Because ultimately, is that not the experience of every college player going to the NFL? Right. Knowing that it's gonna be difficult, knowing that you may not be the biggest, the strongest, the fastest, and doing it anyway and succeeding, I think if you're able to do that, that does prove a lot of legitimacy for NFL evaluators.

PRO MINDSET (41:

20.891) That is worth emphasizing again. In life, especially right now, when things get hard, people quit, they change, they pivot, they change careers, they change companies. And in the NFL, when you're a property right, they they've got you, unless they want to let you go. You have to figure it out. And you gotta figure out how to find yourself in a valuable situation so that you can be in a sub-package. You can be unshort yardage, you can be whatever it might be. And that doesn't happen when you hit the portal all the time. And so they literally don't know if you can stick it out because at every turn you hit the portal. So there's it it it makes sense. There's some very positive things to the portal, and there's some very negative things to the portal. And it just creates more.

Emily Staker (42:

04.974) Mm.

PRO MINDSET (42:

18.403) More work and more nuance by the scouts to try to figure out what's what and who's who.

Emily Staker (42:

24.238) Absolutely. Yeah. I do want to say I'm sorry, I have a heart out at three, so I'm sorry.

PRO MINDSET (42:

26.631) Okay. 32.721) That's okay. So we've got six minutes. Okay. let's talk about the lack of a union, lack of supervision and oversight, lack of you know, certification in the NIL space.

Emily Staker (42:

35.788) We do. 54.348) Yeah, it's pretty devastating, quite frankly, to see the type of people who are attracted to this space without any kind of experience or legitimacy. as you mentioned, you know, I'm a barred licensed attorney. I went to law school, I got lots of real life experience and passed the bar, right? I got my NFLPA certification. I have to adhere to certain ethical standards in both. And there's plenty of quote unquote NIL agents who just add it to their Instagram bio and that's the length and depth that they're willing to to go to show that they are legitimate, right? And I will say I applaud the schools who will outright refuse to work with certain agents because they Have recognized that they behave un unethically. I am aware of a handful of schools who have working lists of agents they will not even speak to. And frankly, I have talked to schools who say if he signs with this agent, we won't we don't want him because those agents create such a negative experience for the schools and do unethical things that the schools do not feel are worth risking eligibility, sanctions, etc. So I do applaud that and I think that more of it's needed than even is occurring now, but ultimately I am the biggest advocate for some kind of certification process or registry of agents because we have people who literally have committed financial crimes who are out here representing college athletes and there is zero recourse available to those athletes if they are, you know, then misrepresented. Right. Unfortunately, if they had the ability to do that research on that person and they didn't, and they signed with them anyways, there's very little that can be done. So I think now more than ever, it is so critical that athletes are again very discerning on who they sign with and actually doing research on their credentials and their experience because always with athletes, and it would be the same in the NFL if the NFL didn't have the PA and its certification process.

Emily Staker (45:

16.052) And it's why so many people apply for the certification and then flunk the test because it attracts a lot of people who have no business working in this space. And it is a really cool industry, but it's something that can be very difficult and ultimately you are representing someone's livelihood and it can be very serious too. you know, sometimes these kids, student athletes, even I have college players who come to me. in crisis because of an injury and they need a second opinion. And because of our relationship with NFL doctors, we're able to get them the best second opinion available. But if you have someone who has no relationship there, you might be dealing with an injury for the rest of your life. And so I can't emphasize enough how important it is for people to be doing their research on individual agents before signing with them.

PRO MINDSET (46:

12.167) Couldn't agree more. Last question, young lady.

Emily Staker (46:

15.008) Mm-hmm.

PRO MINDSET (46:

16.763) I'm a father of a student athlete. Let's say he's fifteen, sixteen, and you know, you get referred to me somehow we get on the phone. You only have like one minute to share with me why I should consider having my son work with you. What is it gonna be?

Emily Staker (46:

40.044) I mean, I think the biggest thing for me is are our values aligned as people? Are your values as a family aligned with me as a person? Because that matters the most to me when I build these relationships. I want that relationship for life, right? If I'm working with a player, my expectation is that we're going from high school to college to pro and all of the years after I will be right there with you and I am not going to make that decision lightly. So it really is a conversation of who are you as a family? What is most important to your son? Like is this really his dream that he's gonna fight, you know, till the very end to make true? I want to understand what motivates him. I want to understand, you know, are they guided by faith like I am? Are we gonna be able to have conversations that are faith driven and motivated and understanding, you know, God's intention and his plan in this young man's life, those are the things that are most important to me. And so it for me it's it's less of a sales pitch and more of a I'm trying to understand who you are at your core to know, you know, are we really gonna be able to have this relationship of true trust throughout the many years that we worked together.

PRO MINDSET (47:

56.431) Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank Emily for being on Pro Mindset today. You can tell she's got a great heart. She's very intelligent. has been very dedicated in this field for more than a decade. thank you so much for being on Pro Mindset today. Where can people find you if they want to find you?

Emily Staker (48:

16.226) Instagram, it's just Emily underscore staker. Other than that, you're more than welcome to Google me, I'm sure. I come up a few areas, but I had a great teacher in all of this. So thank you for teaching me everything you know because that was a huge part of who I am today.

PRO MINDSET (48:

35.121) Thank you. And when is your name gonna change?

Emily Staker (48:

37.868) I don't know yet. That's a great question. That's kinda up in there. We're figuring it out.

PRO MINDSET (48:

40.165) I think I see a survey. That's cool. Share with everybody your fiance's name. Sam Smith played for the Vikings, played at USC, linebacker, has an interesting story in his own right. And he's a very lucky young man.

Emily Staker (48:

47.31) Cam Smith. 55.106) Yes. thank you. Thank you too, Craig. Good to see you. Bye.

PRO MINDSET (48:

59.911) Go out and have a great day.

PRO MINDSET (49:

05.499) Hang with