Woodruff Native and Leading NFL Agent at the Top of His Game
By: Garrett Mitchell, Staff Writer
Tory Dandy has worked tirelessly at his craft, representing some of the biggest names in professional football. This summer Dandy, a Woodruff native and one of the top sports agents in the NFL, put together his best body of work yet as he helped negotiate a plethora of lucrative contracts for his clients.
Among the players Dandy represents is local standout Deebo Samuel. The former Chapman Panther and South Carolina Gamecock were at odds with the San Francisco 49ers before Dandy helped secure an amicable deal for both sides.
For Tory, it is all in a day’s work.
“This summer was very historic,” said Dandy. “I negotiated over $660 million in contracts this offseason when you count some of the highlight deals with Deebo Samuel, D.K. Metcalf, A.J. Brown, Denzel Ward, Haason Reddick, Chris Godwin, and Mike Williams. Those are some of the main highlight guys that I got done this offseason.”
For Dandy, who has been co-head of football operations at his agency, CAA, since July 2020, earning the level of trust his clients place in him has always been a rewarding aspect of the job, and it starts with having a strong relationship with not only his clients but the teams they play for.
of CAA Football Division
“This is certainly business first, but you want to have that personal relationship with your clients as well,” Dandy said. “At the end of the day, it’s all about the business, so when I am going through the process of recruiting these guys (as clients), I speak about having good relationships but also about getting business done. So, for those guys to have the ultimate trust in me to be their agent and lead negotiator, to get these life-changing deals done, it’s the ultimate testament to what I am able to do as an agent and negotiating.”
Having built his reputation as an agent from the ground up, Dandy will never shy away from a challenge. Being on the cutting edge of football’s highest level as the game and its players continue to evolve is something he finds exciting, and he is always searching for the next challenge.
“It was a huge compliment for me to be with the number one sports and entertainment agency in the world, to have equity and be a partner, but also to be named head of the football division was one of the great highlights of my career at that time,” Dandy stated. “Professionally, you know, to be able to have this kind of offseason shows not only my clients but everyone out there that I can get it done at the highest of the highest level and get it done for those guys. I love being able to not only represent top players but top young men and their families.”
One of the most challenging negotiations of Dandy’s career involved Samuel, who at one point early in the offseason, asked for a trade from the 49ers after a breakdown in communication between the two sides. Dandy, however, mediated a solution for Samuel and the team. That resulted in a major contract extension for San Francisco’s star worth a guaranteed $58.1 million over three years with a maximum of $73.5 million with added incentives.
Dandy added that finding a common ground is always a top priority when a dispute arises between the player and the front office.
“I have the utmost respect for John Lynch, general manager of the 49ers,” he explained. “I have known those guys over there for a number of years now, and we have the utmost respect for them. I think communication, of course, there were some trade requests and all, but ultimately myself and the 49ers organization, we stayed in contact with each other, Deebo went in for mandatory mini-camp, and I know some dialogue and communication happened there as well. It was a tough negotiation which goes back to the business side of it, but all parties walked away happy, and Deebo was happy, and now he is working on competing for a championship.”
All told, CAA sports and its agents negotiated a staggering $1.5 billion in sports contracts in the past 12 months. Dandy is thrilled to be a part of that effort, and advocating for his clients continues to be his top priority going forward.
“For me, it’s continuing to get great young men and great families and being able to work on their behalf and lead and guide them to be able to have financial freedom as well,” he said. “That is ultimately what I want to continue to do. I have some guys with contracts coming up; whether it’s Devin White from the (Tampa Bay) Bucs or Marquise Brown from the Cardinals, I have a few guys who will be up for some deals, and I want to deliver for them as well.”
Author: Tracy Sanders
