“Make sure you have the right teammates and trust them to do their job.”

In 2009, DeMaurice Smith was unanimously elected as the NFL Players’ Associations Executive Director. Since then, he’s structured a new league CBA, created a $160M annual marketing division, co-founded ACE Media, and engineered the first athlete-driven accelerator, One Team Collective.

Smith is empowering the modern day athlete and entrepreneur through education, new platforms, and better working conditions. Throughout our conversation, Smith dives deep into the transactional trenches of negotiations with Roger Goodell, but it’s his advice on mentorship and transformational teaching that’s most impressive.

Welcome to Suiting Up, where professional lacrosse player, operator and investor, Paul Rabil, talks to influencers within the world of sports to examine the modern duality of a professional athlete.