Leigh Steinberg, NFL Agent, Files for Bankruptcy
Leigh Steinberg, a sports agent who has represented many of the National Football League’s biggest and most prominent stars has filed for bankruptcy protection.
Steinberg is considered around the industry as the first super-agent, he was also the man whose life was based on the blockbuster movie “Jerry Maguire” where the timeless catchphrase “show me the money” came from.
Steinberg said in a statement on Wednesday that he takes responsibility for his debts of several million dollars. "I just lost track while I was in rehab," Steinberg told AP. He claimed he struggled with alcohol for many years but has been sober since 2010.
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His attorneys filed the Chapter 7 petition late Wednesday in federal bankruptcy court in Santa Ana, Calif.
The filing comes weeks after an Orange County Superior Court commissioner authorized but didn't issue a bench warrant for Steinberg after he failed to appear in court in a case involving a $1.4 million debt.
Steinberg said his attorney agreed to change the date of a hearing, told him not to show up and then failed to reschedule.
Among the many names that Steinberg has worked for some NFL stars include; Troy Aikman, Warren Moon, Steve Young and Ben Roethlisberger.
In the statement Steinberg issued he stated that he put off filing for bankruptcy for several years "because of my moral and legal obligation to people who advanced me funds or performed services in good faith. But the constant and aggressive collection efforts and press initiatives undertaken by creditors have harassed my family and prevented me from working to be able to pay these debts."
Court documents show a default judgment ordered Steinberg to pay the Irvine Co. for office space he leased in Newport Beach.
Steinberg said his debts are larger than the $1.4 million owed to the Irvine Co., and that his attorneys are still adding up the totals. He has claimed that his only assets are stocks.
