It’s been a productive, if at times turbulent, 12-year run for DeMaurice Smith as executive director of the NFL Players Association. Smith’s term ends later this month, and he had already informed the union and league that he would step down after it ended.
Smith had several notable triumphs. These included getting the minimum salary increased from $300,000 to a minimum. He teamed with the union to stop the owners from expanding the schedule without additional player compensation.
But the one failure that Smith acknowledged last week still bothers him was the lack of progress the league has made in terms of hiring Black head coaches.
He criticized the Rooney Rule, in place since 2003, as doing little besides providing a lot of coaches interviews and facility visits.
In a 100 plus page paper slated to appear soon in the “Yale Law and Policy Review, Smith called for the elimination of the rule. In its place he offered 12 solutions and alternatives. According to USA Today, who obtained a copy, there are some very sweeping changes suggested.
These include no longer requiring coaches to get their team’s permission to interview, posting widely and keeping job opportunities open for at least 30 days.
Other suggestions included putting in a nepotism ban, developing more specific descriptions for every key position, and using outside firms to audit teams’ hiring process.
As the league begins preparing for the opening of training camp, both players and coaches are enjoying their last free days before the grind of the year starts.
Though he most likely is hated by ownership and ignored by fans, DeMaurice Smith deserves praise for the job he has done as executive director of the NFLPA.
