Leigh Steinberg is one of the most influential and famous sports agents of all time. Eight times, he has represented the NFL’s top overall pick. His first such client was Steve Bartkowski, the first pick in the 1975 NFL Draft, for whom Steinberg negotiated a record contract when Steinberg was just 25 years old. With a reputation as a master negotiator, Steinberg was said to be the inspiration behind Tom Cruise’s character in Jerry Maguire, the 1996 film about a big-time sports agent. Among Steinberg’s NFL clients over the years have been Hall of Famers Thurman Thomas, Steve Young, Bruce Smith, and Troy Aikman.