Agents, Athletes & the NCAA: Who Really Runs the Game?

This week on Let’s Talk with Carl Lee, the crew welcomes NFL agent and attorney Paul DeRuzel for an electric, wide-ranging conversation. From contract negotiations to NIL chaos, Paul shares stories from inside the industry—including how he helps players grow as professionals, not just performers. Carl reflects on his own experience navigating the NFL without the luxuries today’s players have, and the two connect over the power of mentorship, memory, and integrity in a system that doesn’t always value it. Then the team pivots to a blistering roundtable on the NCAA’s latest controversies, sparked by Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava’s $4 million NIL demand and holdout. From “Do Not Contact” transfer tags to the future of revenue sharing, they ask: Is college football already a professional league without the structure? And who’s protecting the legacy—and the smaller schools—before it’s too late? Lively, honest, and filled with insight—this episode pulls no punches on the state of modern sports.