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Tory Dandy is an NFL football agent and philanthropist. He is currently the co-head and managing partner of Creative Artists Agency’s Sports Football Division and is the first African-American to hold the position.[1]
Early life
editDandy was born in Woodruff, South Carolina. He played football throughout high school, mostly playing on defense or as a wide receiver.[2] Though an untreated shoulder injury led him to miss out on opportunities with major recruiters, he ultimately accepted a scholarship to play Division II football for Tusculum College (now Tusculum University) in Tennessee[2] and then transferred to South Carolina State University.[3] After experiencing additional injuries on the field, Dandy made the decision to stop playing football and returned to Tusculum. In 2002, he earned his degree in Business Management with a minor in Sports Management. After that, he received an MBA from Webster University in 2004.[1]
Sports agency career
editAfter Dandy stopped playing college football, he attended the Black Sports Agents Association's annual conference[2] and went on to get an internship at a small agency in South Carolina called Synergy Sports in 2004.[4] He attracted the attention of influential sports agent Eugene Parker, and when Synergy Sports ceased operations, he became director of recruiting at Parker's company Maximum Sports in 2006.[5] Parker provided mentorship to Dandy until his death.[4]
After Parker passed away in 2016, Dandy's contract expired and he found himself at a career crossroads. CAA Sports contacted him, and he accepted a role in their NFL division later that year.[6]
Dandy was recognized as part of Sports Business Journal's Forty Under 40 in 2018.[7]
In 2020, Dandy was promoted to co-head and managing partner of CAA's Sports Football Division. There, he represents more than 50 NFL players, including multiple all-pro, pro-bowl and first-round draft picks.[1]
Contracts
editDandy's contracts at CAA are reported to total over $1 billion[4] and in 2022 alone, he negotiated over $660 million for CAA clients.[8] As a co-head, he also oversees $4 billion in contracts.[9]
In 2021 and 2022, he negotiated several historic contracts for prominent players, including; $100 million, 4-year contract for A.J. Brown with the Philadelphia Eagles;[10] a $97.6 million contract extension for Marshon Lattimore with the New Orleans Saints;[11] and a $100.5 million, five-year contract extension for Denzel Ward with the Cleveland Browns, making him the NFL's highest paid cornerback at the time.[12]
In recent years, Dandy has negotiated contracts for A.J. Brown, DK Metcalf, and Deebo Samuel totaling $100, $72, and $73.5 million respectively.[13]
In 2024, he negotiated the biggest contract for a wide receiver in NFL history, netting A.J. Brown a $96 million, 3-year contract with $84 million guaranteed to continue playing for the Eagles.[14]
Notable clients
editIn 2009, three years into his role at Maximum Sports, Dandy recruited Tyson Jackson, who was the number-three overall NFL draft pick that year and went on to play for the Kansas City Chiefs.[6]
At CAA, Dandy represents NFL players including Deebo Samuel, Patrick Surtain, Chris Godwin, Haason Reddick, A.J. Brown, Denzel Ward, Devin White, Marshon Lattimore, Cedee Lamb, and Mike Williams.[5]
Philanthropy and charitable work
editDandy established the Tory Dandy Educational Scholarship in 2013, which awards financial assistance annually to a graduating senior at Woodruff High School, where Dandy attended.[2] Through his Tory Dandy Foundation,[15] which aims to assist underprivileged youth, he has also made financial contributions to local South Carolina nonprofits[16] and has donated to support youth services throughout the state.[17]
In recognition of Dandy's contributions and achievements, the cities of Woodruff and Spartanburg gave him a key to the city in 2020 and proclaimed August 29 “Tory Dandy Day.”[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Boynton, Eric. "Woodruff's Tory Dandy receives keys to his hometown and Spartanburg to honor elite promotion". Spartanburg Herald Journal. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- ^ a b c d Ali (2018-04-25). "The Black Sports Agent: Tory Dandy". The Shadow League. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- ^ Staff (1998-01-25). "Spartanburg native makes Hall of Fame Area". Spartanburg Herald Journal. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- ^ a b c Lewis, Alec. "One of the NFL's most powerful agents carries on the legacy of a legendary mentor". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ a b Staff, Variety (2020-08-17). "Tory Dandy Named Co-Head of CAA Sports' Football Division". Variety. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ a b "NFL agent Dandy moving to CAA Sports". www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. 2016-07-25. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ "Forty Under 40: Tory Dandy". www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. 2018-04-09. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ "Labor and Agents: Dandy leads CAA to strong year with strategic NFL deals". www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. 2022-08-15. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ Thornton, Cedric 'BIG CED' (2021-01-05). "Creative Artists Agency's Tory Dandy On the Rise of Black Sports Agents". Black Enterprise. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ Rapp, Timothy. "A.J. Brown Traded to Eagles from Titans; Reportedly Agrees to 4-Year, $100M Contract". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ "Sources: Saints giving Lattimore 5 years, $97.6M". ESPN.com. 2021-09-13. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ "Browns make Ward NFL's highest-paid corner". ESPN.com. 2022-04-18. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ Lombardi, David. "Deebo Samuel's complex contract managed to satisfy multiple interests". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ "Eagles star Brown gets historic $96M extension". ESPN.com. 2024-04-25. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ "The Tory Dandy Foundation". The Tory Dandy Foundation. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ "Scholarship Giveaway". The Tory Dandy Foundation. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ City of Spartanburg (2021-08-30). "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2024-06-18.