Tyler Urban Recap
On Tuesday, Oct. 16, the University of Maryland Sports Business Society welcomed Tyler Urban to campus. Urban is Director of Client Management at Octagon Sports.
Urban, originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was a high school football recruit and committed to play tight end at West Virginia University. He said it was during recruiting visits that he was introduced to the business aspect of sports.
He played four years at WVU, receiving his bachelor’s in finance and his master’s in sports management.
After not being selected in the NFL Draft, Urban signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but said he fired his first agent as a result of lack of communication between the two. He was released by the Buccaneers two months later and signed with the New England Patriots before being later released.
Urban’s NFL career was cut short after not being able to pass a physical for a previous injury and being effectively “blacklisted.” With the help of two WVU alumni, Urban received the opportunity to move to Washington, D.C., and get involved with the agent business.
“The big thing for you guys at this point is taking advantage of the networking - like being in a club like this - getting your education obviously,” Urban said. “And then just taking advantage of each moment and time, even when it’s not the most enjoyable moment but you might learn something from it.”
Octagon Sports currently represents 20 players on an NFL roster. The agency handles marketing, social media and contract negotiations for its clients. Urban works with three other agents in his division to manage each client.
“I want to be authentic,” Urban said of his approach when pitching to potential clients. “So I’ve been in rooms and I’ve heard these pitches. I’m intelligent enough to understand when that person is trying to sell you a used car that is going to break down in a couple miles.
“My thing is, I just want to be my authentic self. Because at the end of the day, there is always going to be a judgement. And I don’t want to act this way with one person and this way with another person and then get caught in that lie. It’s just not going to beneficial.”
Urban said one of the biggest challenges of working with clients is controlling the influences around them.
For the future, Urban said he’s still keeping his options opened and urged people interested in the business to be available to do anything.
