A former agent for Derrius Guice filed a lawsuit against the Redskins running back and his current representation, claiming he was never repaid for loans and is owed a commission for endorsement and marketing deals arranged for his former client.
Fadde Mikhail is seeking $500,000 in damages after filing the suit in California on March 31. Mikhail represented Guice for four months before the running back signed with Young Money, a sports agency founded by Lil’ Wayne, just weeks before the draft.
In the suit, Mikhail claims he loaned Guice $191,000 in early 2018. He also alleges he’s entitled to 15% for the deals negotiated during his time as the running back’s agent. It is common practice for agents to loan money against future earnings to help them with their pre-draft expenses.
Guice signed a four-year contract with Nike that paid him a $100,000 signing bonus with $40,000 in annual payments, according to the lawsuit. Mikhail also alleges he lined up a $35,000 deal from Hyundai, a $50,000 deal from Leafs trading cards and an autograph signing deal that could have paid the 22-year-old up to $600,000 in signings and appearances. Guice, too, was to sign 17,000 autographs at a price of $12.50 per autograph for Panini training cards.
The lawsuit also alleges that Guice’s current agency was to repay the loans that Mikhail gave the running back. Guice is now represented by Wesley Spencer and Andrew Simms of Young Money.
Redskins fans might recognize Mikhail’s name from his tenure as Su’a Cravens’ agent during the former safety’s dispute with the Redskins. Cravens, though, later fired Mikhail and replaced him with Peter Schaffer. And according to Sports Business journal in 2018, Mikhail lost his agent certification in for failing a new test implemented by the player’s union. (Mikhail is not currently listed on the NFLPA’s site as an agent).
The Richmond-Times Dispatch first reported the lawsuit.
In the two years since he was drafted by the Redskins, Guice has appeared in just five games — missing most of the time with knee injuries. The former second-rounder missed his entire rookie year due to a torn ACL and in 2019, he suffered a torn meniscus and later a season-ending MCL sprain. This upcoming season figures to be pivotal for the young back as he needs to prove he can produce on an NFL level.
Before he was selected, Guice famously fell on draft night. The LSU product was a projected first-rounder, but lasted until the 59th pick for reasons that still aren’t entirely clear.
Guice has two years left on his rookie contract and is set to make nearly $893,000 in 2020.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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