Veteran football agent Erik Burkhardt has joined Roc Nation Sports as co-Head of the company’s Football division. Additionally, Roc Nation Sports agents Kim Miale and John Thornton have been promoted to co-Heads of Football and will share leadership of the division alongside Burkhardt.
Burkhardt has been a certified NFL agent for 17 years. He received his undergraduate degree at Texas Tech University and his J.D. and Masters in Sports Administration from St. Thomas University in Miami. He previously served as owner of Select Sports Group, and the co-President of ICM-Select’s NFL division. He has negotiated over $500 million in contracts and represented multiple top 10 picks in the NFL draft.
Burkhardt’s clients who have joined Roc Nation Sports include Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals), Bradley Chubb (Denver Broncos), Frank Clark (Kansas City Chiefs), Marcus Maye (New Orleans Saints), Tyler Higbee (Los Angeles Rams), Irv Smith Jr. (Minnesota Vikings), Jordyn Brooks (Seattle Seahawks), Devin Duvernay (Baltimore Ravens), Terence Steele (Dallas Cowboys), Jamel Dean (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Germaine Pratt (Cincinnati Bengals), Brandon Jones (Miami Dolphins), and Kliff Kingsbury (Arizona Cardinals).
“Erik’s energy, work ethic and passion for helping players achieve their goals are infectious,” said Brodie Van Wagenen, Roc Nation Sports COO. “Together, Kim, John and Erik form a diverse and formidable trio of power brokers in the NFL. Their combined experience and institutional knowledge will allow our clients to further maximize their performances on the field and amplify their brands off the field.”
“My team and I are thrilled to be joining a world class agency in Roc Nation Sports,” said Burkhardt. “In an effort to always grow and evolve for our clients, I’ve had the unique opportunity to sit down with several agencies and deeply explore all aspects of the industry and the future possibilities for our clients. The Roc family is very different than the rest. What JAY-Z and Juan Perez have built at Roc Nation Sports is truly authentic and forward-thinking. I am grateful for the seamless transition into the agency and look forward to working closely with Kim and John to continue building upon their tremendous success.”
Miale has been with Roc Nation Sports since May 2013 and was the first agent hired by JAY-Z and President Juan Perez. As one of the most successful female agents in sports, Miale was named Sports Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 in 2018. In addition to serving as co-Head of Football, she will maintain her role as Roc Nation Sports’ General Counsel. During the 2018 NFL Draft, Miale’s client Saquon Barkley went number two overall to the New York Giants, the highest a player represented by a woman has ever been selected. Miale has negotiated record-breaking contracts for Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley (five-year, $112.866 million) and former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant (five-year, $70 million).
In 1999, Thornton was a second-round pick in the NFL Draft, following a first-team All-American career at the University of West Virginia. He played 10 seasons in the NFL for the Tennessee Titans and Cincinnati Bengals before becoming a certified NFL agent in 2013, making him one of the most successful former players in the industry. Thornton has represented multiple first-round picks including the fourth overall pick in the 2020 draft (Andrew Thomas – New York Giants). He recently negotiated a record-breaking contract for cornerback Jaire Alexander of the Green Bay Packers (four-year, $84 million).
Collectively, Roc Nation Sports and Burkhardt have represented more than a dozen first-round NFL draft picks and negotiated more than $1.3 billion in NFL contracts.
Roc Nation Sports, a sub-division of Roc Nation, launched in spring 2013. Founder Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter’s love of sports led to the natural formation of Roc Nation Sports, supporting athletes in the same way Roc Nation has been working alongside and advocating for artists in the music industry for years. Roc Nation Sports focuses on elevating athlete’s careers on a global scale both on and off the field, bringing the organization’s full-service touch to athletes across the NFL, NBA, MLB, global soccer and rugby. Roc Nation Sports conceptualizes and executes marketing and endorsement deals, community outreach, charitable tie-ins, media relations, and brand strategy. Roc Nation Sports roster includes premiere athletes such as LaMelo Ball, Romelu Lukaku, Saquon Barkley, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Kevin De Bruyne, Leonard Fournette, Marcus Stroman, Robinson Cano and Danny Green.
