Sumith Prasad
In the fourth episode of FX’s crime drama series ‘American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez,’ Brian Murphy helps Aaron Hernandez prepare for the upcoming NFL draft. Although he has an impressive record with the Florida Gators, his run-ins with the law and concerning marijuana smoking make him one of the agent’s tough clients. Still, Murphy tries his best to find a place in the NFL for Aaron, paving the way for his selection by the New England Patriots. In reality, as the show depicts, the agent played a key role in shaping the football player’s career in the particular sport‘s grandest stage!
Brian Murphy Was More Than an Agent for Aaron Hernandez
By the time Aaron Hernandez was preparing for his NFL draft, Brian Murphy had made a name for himself in the sports industry as the CEO and President of Athletes First, the agency he founded with David Dunn in 2001. After the football player’s selection by the New England Patriots, the agent remained a significant presence in the former’s career and life. When Alexander S. Bradley threatened to sue the NFL tight end for shooting him down, Murphy intervened and called the former drug dealer’s attorney to settle the predicament. While Aaron dealt with several conflicts off the pitch, the agent became his trusted adviser.
However, Murphy couldn’t fulfill his role satisfactorily. He told The Boston Globe that he “failed miserably” to guide Aaron, especially in the wake of Odin Lloyd’s murder. When a grand jury convened for the football player’s trial, the agent appeared before them and testified that his client feared he would be murdered. Murphy reached out to the tight end while he was in prison. They talked about the athlete’s sponsorship deals, only for the latter to joke about whether Smith & Wesson, the firearm manufacturer that made the gun used in the particular crime, would want to sign a deal with him. Unfortunately, the laughs didn’t last long.
When Aaron killed himself in his prison cell in April 2017, the news was nothing but unbelievable for Murphy. “Absolutely no chance he [Aaron] took his own life. Chico was not a saint, but my family and I loved him, and he would never take his own life,” the agent shared in the wake of his client’s death.
Brian Murphy Made Athletes First One of the Most Prominent Agencies in the NFL
More than half a decade after Aaron Hernandez’s death, Brian Murphy is one of the most influential agents in the NFL and the domestic sports industry, for that matter. As one of the heads of Athletes First, he negotiated the largest deal in NFL history on three separate instances. He also secured veteran contracts for popular players like Everson Griffen, Kyle Rudolph, and Vinny Curry. In 2018, he launched the sports marketing agency Athletes First Partners as a sister company of Athletes First. Its clients include the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Properties.
In 2023, MASTRY Ventures and General Catalyst bought the majority stake in Athletes First and retained Murphy as the CEO to run the day-to-day operations. Under his leadership, the company has served some of the biggest names in football, including four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, Super Bowl champion Aaron Donald, and the Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Forbes recognized his mastery in negotiation tables by placing him at #16 in its 2020 list of the most powerful sports agents in the world. Currently, he leads Athletes First and Athletes First Partners as the CEO of the two firms.
Murphy set out to revolutionize recruiting and representation through Athletes First’s inaugural Tailgate Tour in September 2023. The campaign was conceived to host prospective and current clients of the firm by visiting ten of the NFL and NCAA’s most fierce rivalry games. The agent revealed that the tour was kicked off to change the company’s operations according to the transformation of the “representation game.” The second season of the same kicked off earlier this year.
Brian Murphy Excels at Being an Agent, Entrepreneur, and Family Man Alike Today
Brian Murphy’s Athletes First negotiated some of the largest deals in the NFL in recent years. In September 2024, Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys became the league’s highest-paid player by signing a four-year contract worth $240 million. The firm was behind Tua Tagovailoa’s four-year, $212.4 million contract extension with the Miami Dolphins. The agency also secured a four-year, $220 million contract for the Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love. Murphy himself collaborated with his colleague Camron Hahn to help Daniel Jones sign a $160 million deal with the New York Giants. The team’s general manager, Joe Schoen, gave credit to the duo, describing the contract as the “sell of the agent.”
From what we can share, Murphy is a family man when he is not working. Since 1995, he has been sharing his life with Lauren in matrimony. They are based in Newport Beach, California. The couple have two children named Mackenzie and Brittany. Despite his seemingly busy schedule, he finds time to spend with his loved ones. In July 2024, the husband and wife joined their two daughters for what seems to be a family getaway in Santa Barbara, California. They are also adventurous enough to embark on white truffle hunts. Lauren is a constant presence alongside Murphy at various social events in the state.
Murphy is a proud father when it comes to Mackenzie and Brittany. He celebrated the former’s graduation from the University of Notre Dame in July 2022 and visited the latter, who is studying abroad, in October 2023. He also cherishes his friendships, which is made evident by his reunion with his 2nd-grade schoolmates in June 2024. The same pride is visible when his clients secure top deals and rise to new heights season after season in the NFL. Even though he might have failed with Aaron Hernandez, he has been able to successfully guide hundreds of footballers through Athletes First over the two last two decades.
Read More: Robert “Bobby” Valentine: How Did Aaron Hernandez’s Uncle Die?
