Today we’d like to introduce you to JT Miller.
Hi JT, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Growing up in a small town – Clinton, North Carolina – I learned very early on that I could use my talent as a basketball player to take me places and get me into a great college. While in high school, I met my mentors, Jeff Whitney and Adisa Bakari, who are also the owners of The Sports & Entertainment Group (TSEG), an agency located in Washington, DC. Over the course of my high school and college career, they continued to give guidance and really sparked my interest with respect to becoming an agent.
After turning down several high major collegiate programs, I was selected to attend Howard University, on a full athletic scholarship, where I also began my journey as a student intern at TSEG. Over the course of four years, I acquired the knowledge and experience to understand the business of sports and how players can create generational wealth for their families; This is when I knew what my professional purpose would be.
Once I finished school, I spent a very short time playing basketball professionally before deciding to start my career as a full-time agent at TSEG.
Since joining TSEG I have quickly made a name for myself among some of the top up-and-coming professionals in the industry. I’ve been known to take a unique and modern approach to athlete representation which has allowed me to carve out my own lane as a young agent in the business. My ability to relate and connect with athletes has been a proven game-changer in helping the agency secure multiple top-round draft picks like Christian Watson of the Packers, Josh Palmer of the Chargers, and Tre Brown of the Seahawks, just to name a few.
As a former basketball player and client of TSEG, I’m able to bring my own experiences to the table. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree from Howard University and a master’s from Missouri State University, I played for several overseas teams before eventually making the transition to an agent. I then received my certifications by the NFLPA and NBPA and my career took off.
TSEG is one of the only black-owned sports agencies in the country with an all-black staff, but what truly makes us different from other agencies is our dedication to our client’s long-term success and building their personal brand beyond the field and off the court. One of the agency’s top priorities is educating players on financial management and independence – from marketing campaigns, endorsement deals, and interviews – to making sound investments and providing business and legal advice.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I would say the road has been mostly smooth for me because of my internship and the mentorship Jeff and Adisa provided early on. I did deal with one internal battle during my transition, and that was because I made the decision to stop playing basketball much earlier than I anticipated in my professional career, considering that most of my life all I’ve known was basketball. So for the first year, or so, I struggled with moving on, but once the feeling to play subdued my journey started to smooth out.
As you know, we’re big fans of The Sports & Entertainment Group. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The Sports & Entertainment Group represents professional athletes, coaches, front-office executives, broadcasters, networks, sponsors, and other industry participants involved in all levels of the business of sports. We routinely advise our clients on a wide variety of matters, including athlete-team contract negotiations; athlete endorsement agreements; intellectual property protection; real estate matters; charitable trust planning; tax and wealth preservation planning. The Sports & Entertainment Group has full-time NFLPA certified player agents, attorneys, marketing executives, and other professionals dedicated solely to athlete representation. Helping our clients create intergenerational wealth is the thing we are most proud of.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
The advice I would give someone looking for a mentor or networking, in general, would be to go out and meet new people within the industry. Be the person who introduces yourself to everyone in the room because in this industry it can oftentimes be more about who you know and the connections you’ve made, rather than what you know.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tsegllc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ijtmiller23/?hl=en
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/iJTMiller23
