EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — His name is synonymous with the movie for which he served as the inspiration.
“I’ve rarely walked through an airport or been out to dinner these last 25 years and someone runs up to the table and asks me to say four words and they start with “show me the...,” Steinberg said.
The real-life Jerry Maguire is sports agent Leigh Steinberg. But just as the world saw his character transform in the famous film, Leigh now lives by a different slogan, something his father taught him as a kid.
“Try to be an agent for change,” Steinberg said.
It is how he encourages his clients to live, too.
“I put together a practice that asks athletes to understand their tremendous power as role models to trigger imitative behavior in people,” Steinberg added.
Leigh is arguably the most high-profile sports agent in the game, representing many Super Bowl winners, and it was 35 years ago he combined his philanthropic spirit with his powerhouse career starting a massive and iconic Super Bowl party.
In Leigh’s office are even more living memories from parties past.
Now in its 35th year, the event is at Sony Pictures, drawing in NFL team owners, coaches, players and many celebrities. But what Leigh is most proud of is what the party accomplishes.
It is historically a fundraiser for various charities. This year it benefits the Lantern Network, which supports black youth.
This year also marks the 9th Annual Brain Health Summit held at the party, which focuses on medical and mental health issues affecting athletes.
“I had a crisis conscience back in the 80s from representing half the NFL quarterbacks that keep getting hit in the head," Steinberg said. "So, we started bringing neurologists together."
Leigh has dedicated his life to advancing safety for players and understanding it all himself.
At his office, pictures and mementos show the longevity and depth of his career, but getting to be a sports agent for change is what he cherishes most.