Don Yee
| Donald H. Yee | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater |
University of California, Los Angeles University of Virginia School of Law |
| Occupation | NFL sports agent |
| Home town | Sacramento, California |
Donald H. Yee (born c. 1961) is an American sports agent and a partner of the sports talent agency Yee & Dubin. Yee mainly represents NFL players and coaches, most notably New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton. He has been highly praised by media including Sports Illustrated and the Washington Post for his work in representing Tom Brady.[1][2]
Early life
Yee grew up in Sacramento, California into an immigrant Chinese American family.[3] His mother is not able to speak English.[4] As a 13 year old in 1974, he worked as a batboy for the Sacramento Solons, the city's then minor league baseball team.[4] In an interview with Sactown Magazine, he recalls the influence of the baseball team's manager, Bob Lemon, who taught Yee that he shouldn't "pay attention to what others think. Just do your best, and do what you think is right.”[4]
Career
He is a longtime agent for Tom Brady, having forged a relationship with Brady during his senior year in college. As Brady's representative, he was most prominent during the Deflategate saga. The Boston Globe in noting Brady's lack of public statements during Deflategate, pointed out the public defense of Brady was instead "delivered by his chief surrogate, uber-agent Don Yee, who seems to be everywhere Brady is not."[5] Similarly, the Washington Post praised his crisis performance, labeling him Brady's "super agent".[1]
Public positions
Yee has been noted for publicly taking controversial opinions. He argued in an op-ed in the Washington Post in 2010 for paying college football players, arguing that it would "implement an honest approach to the combination of big-time football and higher education, an approach that eliminates the NCAA's notion of amateurism."[6]
References
- 1 2 "Tom Brady's fascinating minder: Super agent Don Yee". Washington Post. May 12, 2015.
- ↑ "More on Tom Brady's amazing deal". Sports Illustrated. February 26, 2013.
- ↑ "Agent Spotlight: Don Yee". Sports Agent Blog.
- 1 2 3 Vanairsdale, S.T. (September 2014). "Sports Agent Don Yee". Sactown Magazine.
- ↑ "In Tom Brady's silence, agent Don Yee is loud and clear". Boston Globe. May 9, 2015.
- ↑ "A pro agent's case for paying college football players". Washington Post. August 19, 2010.