About

By

Hope Louise Wright

I remember going to the Omaha Royals game back in the late 1970’s to watch the ballgame with my late Grandpa and enjoyed the excitement of the game. Whether, it was the cheering crowd, the crack of the bat, home run celebration from the team, the popcorn and crackerjacks, there was something innocent, patriotic and sense of community back in those days. And I loved it, never wanting to leave the stadium. My late mom being a Journalist and Photographer added to the beauty of the nostalgic moments, that meant so much to me. Fast forwarding to the present day, I still have that same energy and love for the world of sports, in particular, college and professional football.

I was born, raised and still reside in Omaha, Nebraska. Although, currently I travel back and forth from Nebraska to California, when it comes to college football, it’s all about the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Yes, I know that there’s a lot of issues right now in terms of winning, but I’m talking about the Cornhuskers of the 80’s and 90’s, when Coach Tom Osborne was legend and so were the players. All the players were gifted and phenomenal in their own way, but for me it will always be number 18 Brooke Berringer. Berringer was from Goodland, Kansas and came to the Nebraska Cornhuskers as a backup QB for Palmetto, Florida born and raised Tommy Frazier who was the starting QB. It’s no secret for two consecutive years 1992 and 1993, Berringer played the backup QB during his freshmen and sophomore year, at the University Nebraska in Lincoln. However, during the year of 1994 Berringer was given opportunity as a starting QB, when Frazier was sideline with blood clots in his leg.

In his junior year, Berringer started seven games because starter Tommie Frazier had a bloods clot in his leg. Berringer completed 94 of 151 passes (62%) for 1,295 yards, 10 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.[1] Prior to this year, Berringer had completed only 17 passes. The team made it to the Orange Bowl, and Frazier recovered in time to start for it. In the game’s first quarter, Frazier threw an interception on Nebraska’s second series. Berringer took over, and threw a 19-yard TD pass to Mark Gilman that drew the Huskers within 3 points. Nebraska eventually won the game 24-17 with Berringer playing through the middle quarters before coach Tom Osborne re-inserted Frazier in the fourth quarter. As a senior, Berringer again was a backup. He played sparingly, completing 26 of 51 passes for 252 yards in 9 games played. For the third consecutive year, the Nebraska Cornhuskers played in the national championship game. Berringer played mop-up duty and at the end of the game, the Fiesta Bowl, scored a 1-yard TD for his team’s final points. They won a 62-24 victory over Florida. (www.wikipedia.org)

In my humble opinion, I personally believe that Berringer should have been starting QB his junior and senior years; considering, as I also believe he single handedly took the Cornhusker to the National Championship two years in a role. His performance was expected to get him mid round pick in the NFL Draft of 1996, however that would never happen. Brook Berringer passed away tragically at the age of 22 shy of 23, just 2 days before the draft. His untimely passing signified the danger that lurked ahead for the Cornhuskers and many more tragedies to follow. But that’s for another day and topic.

Meanwhile, my journey to Sports Agency or deciding this would be my career path was further decided after watching the HBO originally Arli$$, The Super Sports Agent. I love the aspect of defending, protecting and shielding athletes from any and all harm. However, my concern with the show is it detailed a darker side of being a Sports Agent; where some lean in the direction of greed, doubled standards and intensive exaggerated publicity or promotion. Being a Sports Agent encompasses extensive knowledge of sports, and everything to do with reviewing game footage of the player, assessing skill level of the player, assuring they are ready for the big leagues, or placed them development and training to assist the player in furthering their professional career. This is where it’s important to coach the athlete on the best alternatives such as, attending sports camps and national combines to get them on the NFL or CFL radar; with the strongly possibility of being considered for team placement.

After researching and speaking to countless individuals associated with the sports industry; from Sports Journalist, Athletic Directors, Athletes, Coaches,  Sport Agents, Front Office Personnel to Team managers, it became apparent college education was necessary to obtaining knowledge and experience in the profession. I was informed that to be a highly effective agent these primary majors are excellent choices: Law, Business, Sports management and Finance; also having a master’s degree is highly encouraged. So, I attended the College of Saint Mary to obtain my Bachelor Degree in English with a minor in Humanities and Post Baccalaureate in Paralegal Studies. From Sports Management Worldwide Sports Business Training, I received my Athlete Management Certification and Athlete Marketing and Branding certification. I also noticed that Sports Agents are deeply involved in contract negotiations, so effective communication is a must with a strong ability to persuade and argue effectively is the reason I’m a full-time student at Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law; completing my Masters Degree in Legal Studies. I also understand there’s lots of traveling involved to visit colleges, universities, to discover and find new talent, visiting with professional teams, coaches and managers, National Combines, promote and market athletes. And to give myself more credence as a Sports Agent, I’ve also applied and paid the fee for my NFLPA Certification.

Currently, I work for Pro Level Sports Agency based out of York, PA, as a Senior Vice President of Business Operations. I was originally hired in October of 2021, as an Agent Advisor, which is completely different than a Sports Agent. As an Agent Advisor, I actually coach the athlete on the intricacies and legalities of the contract. I don’t work directly with the Team who holds the players rights; that’s the responsibility of the Certified Sports Agent. However, the agency has in house Sports Agents who can handle the big-league contracts, such as, the CFL and NFL. I simply focus on the business & legal end of operations for Pro Level Sports Agency, as well as continuing to represent my already existing 16 clients.  I’m eligible to take the NFLPA Agent exam in 2022.

If you are an athlete looking for representation, information or want to fill out the application contact me at hopelouise@prolevelagents.com or visit www.prolevelagents.com to browse through information on the Pro Level Sports Team, Partnerships, current clients, National Combines, sponsorships and more.