In 11 Days, Agent Puts His Fearsome Foursome on Map

Only four of the National Football League’s first-round draft choices remain unsigned, but two weeks ago, player agent Leigh Steinberg had that many all by himself.

So he decided to make what turned out to be an $8 million odyssey, getting the four players he represented signed to contracts in the space of 11 days.

According to Steinberg, a lawyer with offices in Los Angeles and Berkeley, NFL clubs weren’t sure what to offer this year. The United States Football League wasn’t competing for top talent, and the NFL clubs were inclined to roll back rookie contracts to the pre-USFL levels of 1981. Obviously, most agents opposed that.

Steinberg’s unsigned included USC linebacker Duane Bickett, drafted No. 5 by Indianapolis; USC offensive tackle Ken Ruettgers, drafted No. 7 by Green Bay; Washington defensive end Ron Holmes, drafted No. 8 by Tampa Bay, and Ohio State guard Jim Lachey, drafted No. 12 by San Diego.

Steinberg started with the Chargers on behalf of Lachey. He met with Johnny Sanders, Charger general manager, and reached an agreement in one afternoon.

Four days later, he flew to Tampa, Fla., with Steve Young of the Express to discuss Young’s future with the Buccaneers, who hold his NFL rights, and also to talk about Holmes. At Tampa, Steinberg met with owner Hugh Culverhouse and his assistant, Phil Krueger.

“There we were in Hugh Culverhouse’s office, with a picture of him with the Pope on the wall, and he had just gotten back from meeting with (President) Reagan to talk about the tax bill,” Steinberg said. “Somehow, I got the feeling this was a man of some influence and power.”

But when it was time for the power talking, Steinberg and Krueger were the main characters.

“We negotiated so long one night that he ended up sleeping on the couch in his office,” Steinberg said. “I didn’t get back on the night we made the agreement until 2:30.”

An agreement on Holmes having been reached, the lawyer was soon on his way to Indianapolis to do business for Bickett.

“I met with (general manager and son of the owner) Jim Irsay that night and we stayed up till about 3 in the morning,” said Steinberg, who went another day and a half with the Colts before reaching an agreement.

Then, on to Green Bay.

“Something happens to the plane--Air Wisconsin--so I end up having to land in Appleton, Wis., and taking a bus trip to Green Bay,” Steinberg said. “Forrest Gregg (Packer coach) had a statement in the Green Bay papers: ‘Oh, another agent’s in town? We’ll have him over to dinner. My wife will cook. Rat poison.’ He called me up to apologize afterward. It was sort of funny.”

Steinberg met that night with Chuck Hutchison, Packer executive, and the talks continued all day Friday in Steinberg’s motel room. They made a deal late Friday night and went out to celebrate, uncorking a bottle of Hutchison’s wedding Chardonnay and sipping it on his porch until 1 a.m., when Steinberg caught a flight home.

Afterward, Steinberg said he felt much better. That’s not surprising. Being able to generate an average of $2 million each for his four clients would appear to fall into the category of time well spent.