DeMaurice F. Smith

DeMaurice F. Smith is a powerful voice at the intersection of leadership, labor, and business transformation. As the former Executive Director of the NFL Players Association from 2009 to 2023, he helped reshape the role of players in professional football — not just as athletes, but as stakeholders in a multibillion-dollar industry.

Over the course of his tenure, Smith negotiated two of the most consequential collective bargaining agreements in the history of professional sports. These deals protected player pensions, secured the highest revenue shares ever awarded to players, and redefined how labor wields influence in one of the world’s most lucrative leagues. He earned a reputation as a tough negotiator and a principled leader, never afraid to stand up for what he believed was right — even when it meant taking on billion-dollar ownership groups and the full weight of the NFL machine.

A Career Defined by Precision and Principle

Before his time with the NFLPA, Smith had already built a distinguished legal career. A former federal prosecutor and partner at two global law firms, he brought a rare combination of legal precision, strategic insight, and moral clarity to the role. His leadership saw players through lockouts, lawsuits, public health crises, and urgent battles for social and economic justice.

Under his guidance, the union didn’t just protect its members — it helped them grow. One of the most innovative moves came with the launch of OneTeam Partners, a groundbreaking joint venture that gave players equity stakes in major deals with companies like Fanatics, WHOOP, and Electronic Arts.

At the same time, Smith served on the AFL-CIO Executive Council, connecting the fight for athletes’ rights with the broader American labor movement.

“True leadership means knowing when to listen, when to fight, and how to build something stronger than what came before.”

Beyond the Negotiating Table

Smith is also a gifted storyteller and speaker. He’s been invited to speak at many of the country’s top universities, law schools, and business programs, where his talks explore leadership, ethics, resilience, and the hard truths of strategy in high-stakes environments.

He’s served as an Executive in Residence at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia and has lectured at institutions including USC, UCLA, UMass Amherst, Elon University, and the University of Illinois.

He’s also an author and critic. Smith co-authored The Rooney Suggestion, a sharp and unflinching critique of the NFL’s Rooney Rule and the broader failures around diversity in professional sports leadership.

His latest book, Turf Wars: The Fight for the Soul of Football, offers a behind-the-scenes look at his years inside the NFL, revealing the battles, setbacks, and quiet victories that shaped today’s game.

Educator and Family Man

A graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, Smith has taught at some of the most respected legal institutions in the country — including Harvard Law School, Yale, the U.S. War College, and his alma mater. He currently serves as a visiting professor at the Pepperdine School of Law.

Away from the spotlight, he’s a devoted husband and father of two. And whether he’s in a boardroom, a classroom, or standing at a podium, Smith remains grounded in the same core belief: leadership isn’t about status — it’s about service, courage, and long-term impact.