Last week, news broke that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts signed a record-breaking contract extension of $255 million for five seasons. The contract also comes with a no-trade clause, a first for the Eagles franchise, which prohibits the team from trading him without written permission from the player and their agent. Hurts will also get $179.3 million guaranteed because of the contract.
The agent behind Hurts’ historic contract was Nicole Lynn, who has made historic achievements throughout her career. This year, Lynn became the first Black female agent to represent a quarterback in the Super Bowl.
When your dreams become reality. @QuinnenWilliams pic.twitter.com/YAZcYk86vR
— Nicole Lynn (@AgentNicoleLynn) April 26, 2019
“I’m so grateful that I get to have a front-row seat to experience the journey of [Hurts]” Lynn stated on Twitter. “This is just the beginning. Your name will be cemented in history for years to come.”
In 2019, she became the first Black woman to represent a top-three pick in the NFL Draft when defensive tackle Quinnen Williams was selected third overall by the New York Jets.
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“There’s 900 certified NFL agents, less than one percent are women generally,” Lynn said in an interview with WQHT Hot 97 in New York. “There’s a couple that are Black. It’s a tough market to be in, especially for a woman.”
Lynn works for Klutch Sports, the same agency that represents Lakers star LeBron James. Some of her other clients include Cleveland Brown defensive end Myles Garrett, Cowboys linebacker Malik Jefferson, and Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe.
In 2015, Lynn became the first female agent to work for PlayersRep. Two years later, the company was acquired by Young Money APAA Sports Agency, which is owned by Lil Wayne.
Klutch Sports hired her to lead football operations. This month, she became president of the football division.
Lynn was born and raised in poverty in Tulsa, Oklahoma. While pursuing a business management degree at the University of Oklahoma, she developed strong bonds with the football players due to their similar backgrounds.
“And then I would see them get drafted and they’d go from rags to riches … and then a few years later, they would go back to rags,” Lynn said in her interview on the podcast “Jemele Hill is Unbothered.” “I would try to figure out what it was that I could do to effectuate change.”
Lynn initially aspired to be a financial advisor for athletes. This led her to work on Wall Street as a Financial Analyst. She also earned her Series 7 and Series 63 certifications through FINRA. She returned to the University of Oklahoma to earn her Doctor of Law to become an agent.
By the age of 26, she signed her first client, that made her one of the youngest female sports agents in the industry.
“I never had a plan B, I always knew what I wanted to do,” Lynn said. “I didn’t have a plan B as far as resources, parents, etc. … I had a different level of grit because I had to make it.”
