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Washington Post
an hour ago
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- Washington Post
The rise and fall of Lloyd Howell at the NFLPA
When the player representatives of the 32 NFL teams gathered at the Salamander Resort and Spa in Middleburg, Virginia, in 2023 for the two-day meeting at which they would elect a new executive director of the NFL Players Association, they didn't know much about the results of the search process they had authorized the union's executive committee to oversee. They didn't know that the executive committee's finalists for the NFLPA's top job were Lloyd Howell, the former chief financial officer of consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, and David P. White, the former national executive director and chief negotiator for the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). They didn't know what the vetting process conducted by search firm Russell Reynolds Associates and the background report compiled by due diligence firm Mintz Group had — and had not — found about Howell. And they didn't know that the players on the executive committee had voted, 10-1, to recommend White to the player reps as the union's next executive director if they were asked to make a recommendation. 'We held an internal vote before that meeting,' a player who was on the executive committee during the search said Sunday. '… It was never communicated [to the board of player reps]. They made up their own mind. That's what we wanted.' The player reps voted the following day via a single confidential, written ballot to elect Howell to succeed DeMaurice Smith. That June 28, 2023, decision turned out to be ill-fated. Howell resigned Thursday, a little more than two years into his term, amid a string of controversies that brought intense scrutiny and spurred unrest among some players and agents. Some on the players' side are unhappy about the process that led to Howell's election, saying it lacked transparency and failed to make the player representatives aware of warning signs regarding Howell's candidacy before they voted. But as the NFLPA works to elect an interim executive director, perhaps by Monday, and faces the prospect of launching a search for Howell's permanent successor, those involved in the process that led to Howell's election defend it. They say Russell Reynolds conducted a by-the-book search and the executive committee fulfilled its goals to avoid media leaks and put qualified finalists in front of the player reps for their vote, even if the outcome of Howell's tenure was calamitous. According to multiple people familiar with the process, Howell's consulting position at the Carlyle Group and his involvement in a sexual discrimination and retaliation lawsuit in 2011 while at Booz Allen were discussed by the players before his election. There was no discussion, those people said, about Howell reportedly being questioned and reprimanded by Booz Allen for a 2015 incident in which he and a colleague visited a strip club in New York and the colleague sought reimbursement on an expense report. 'That was missed,' the player who was on the executive committee said. 'That was not known.' But of the overall process, the player said, 'I would do it the same way.' The search has produced particularly sharp criticism of JC Tretter, then the NFLPA's president as a recently retired player and more recently its chief strategy officer under Howell. One person on the players' side of the sport said this weekend that Tretter 'has an us-against-them mentality' that produced a flawed search. Some observers have suggested Tretter tilted the 2023 election in Howell's favor and was rewarded with his position in union leadership. 'I deny that theory,' the player who was on the executive committee said. Another person with direct knowledge of the search called that notion 'outrageous.' They and others spoke with The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity because of the confidentiality of the search and the sensitivity of the issues following Howell's resignation. Tretter told CBS Sports on Sunday that he's resigning from the NFLPA. Tretter did not cast the one vote in favor of Howell in the executive committee's June 2023 vote on the recommendation that was not delivered, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. That person and the player who was on the executive committee confirmed the 10-1 vote in favor of White. 'We wanted [the player reps] to make up their own mind,' the player said, adding that the vote was taken about a week before the meeting of the team-by-team player representatives. 'We did that in case we were asked for our recommendation.' The NFLPA hired Russell Reynolds in June 2022. The board of player reps had authorized the executive committee to conduct a search in which it brought two to four viable candidates for the consideration of the player representatives. The player reps agreed at the outset of the process that they would not have access to information about the candidates until the final voting meeting, two people familiar with the search said. 'They said, 'We want a process that any Fortune 100 [company] or significant nonprofit would use.' … They did not want to repeat the past, and they wanted to professionalize and have something that they could be proud of and stand behind,' a person directly involved in the search said. The executive committee, in particular, did not want a repeat of the NFLPA's 2009 search process, which was marked by rampant media leaks. 'The better we kept it quiet, the better we were able to get better candidates,' the player who was on the executive committee said. 'I think we were successful at that.' Russell Reynolds spoke with more than 150 people and presented 46 potential executive director prospects to the executive committee. Fifteen candidates were interviewed by the executive committee. The search firm remained in regular contact with the executive committee, with a weekly call every Monday night between November 2022 and June 2023. The executive committee interviewed 12 candidates over Zoom, then cut its list to six and conducted in-person interviews with them in March 2023. When Russell Reynolds asked the executive committee if it wanted to refine the search in any way, the committee expressed an interest in candidates with strong business profiles. That led to Howell being contacted and added to the search, along with two other candidates. They were interviewed in person in April 2023, and the executive committee cut its list to four candidates. Those four were informed of their status and asked to participate in psychometric testing, which included online testing and a multi-hour behavioral interview with a psychologist. They agreed to undergo a comprehensive background report by Mintz Group. The four candidates gave presentations to the executive committee in D.C., and each had a meal with the committee members. The executive committee chose Howell and White as the finalists for the June meeting of the player reps. The players were aware of the sexual discrimination lawsuit, first reported by ESPN, in which Howell had been involved. 'The discrimination case was raised in the Mintz report and exhaustively discussed with the [executive committee],' the person directly involved in the search said, adding that the lawsuit also was discussed with the player reps at the late June meeting. The player who was on the executive committee said: 'We knew about that. Lloyd was open about that.' Howell's role as a part-time consultant to the aerospace and defense investment team of the Carlyle Group, a global investment firm, also was known and discussed, they said. Carlyle had not been approved at that point to make private-equity investments in NFL teams, as it now is. So the issue that was discussed related only to his outside work, not to a possible conflict of interest. Eventually, the player said, the executive committee deliberated with Howell about his outside work and determined he could continue to serve on corporate boards as long as there was no conflict of interest. 'It was a little back-and-forth,' the player said. 'We wanted none. He wanted some number. Maybe it was three. Maybe it was five.' ESPN reported Friday that Howell had charged the union for two visits to strip clubs. That included a charge of $738.82 for a car service in November 2023 that took him from the Fort Lauderdale airport to a Miami-area strip club, according to the report, and a visit by Howell and two union employees in February to an Atlanta strip club that led to $2,426 in charges that Howell instructed an employee to submit in expense reports. ESPN also reported on the 2015 strip club incident while Howell was at Booz Allen. According to the person with direct knowledge of the search, Russell Reynolds asked the candidates' references if there was anything potentially embarrassing to the candidate, to the NFLPA or to the search firm that the firm should know about. None of Howell's references disclosed the reported 2015 strip club incident, the person said. Russell Reynolds said in a statement Sunday that it 'conducted an extensive search and vetting process for the NFLPA that adhered to [the firm's] best practices in governance.' The firm said it 'was fully transparent with the NFLPA about its findings for each candidate at every interval of the search process.' The firm said it takes issue with any characterization that there was anything improper about one of its employees, Anamika Gupta, subsequently being hired by Howell as the NFLPA's chief of staff. She also was a former Booz Allen employee. 'This individual was a stellar employee who excelled during her eight years at' Russell Reynolds, the firm said. 'She neither knew Mr. Howell during her prior employment at Booz Allen Hamilton nor had any communication with him during the search process. Any suggestion to the contrary is reckless and categorically false.' At the June meeting of player reps, the players were briefed and spent time with Howell and White. Russell Reynolds made presentations about the two candidates. Its organizational psychologist was on hand. The executive committee presented the issues that it wanted raised from the Mintz background report. That's when the player reps were told about the sexual discrimination lawsuit involving Howell. 'Specific to Lloyd, the discrimination lawsuit was a major topic of discussion' with the player reps, the person directly involved in the search said. The Carlyle Group issue was not a major topic of discussion with the player reps, that person said. The players again were warned about media leaks. 'Doors were closed,' the person with direct knowledge of the search said. 'Phones were gone. ... There were ground rules set.' The candidates made two-hour presentations and were made available to the player reps in smaller-group settings. They made final remarks before the vote on the meeting's second day. According to the person involved in the search, the NFLPA hired a third-party auditor to conduct a confidential vote by written ballot. The auditor collected the player reps' ballots and announced Howell as the winner without disclosing a vote count to the players. 'Lloyd won the day,' that person said. 'He gave a very eloquent analysis of what he felt and he saw.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
NFLPA's JC Tretter resigns after backlash against candidacy to replace executive director Lloyd Howell
J.C. Tretter was the other name scrutinized in the backlash that led to NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell resigning. He's headed out too now. The former Cleveland Browns center, who was working as the union's chief strategy officer after two terms as president during his playing days, told CBS Sports on Sunday he is taking himself out of the running for the interim executive director position and resigning from the union, citing the impact on his family. He did so after it was reported he was in a two-man race for interim executive director alongside NFLPA chief player officer Don Davis. From CBS Sports: "I'm not resigning because what I've been accused of is true. ... I'm not resigning in disgrace. I'm resigning because this has gone too far for me and my family, and I've sucked it up for six weeks. And I felt like I've been kind of left in the wind taking shots for the best of the organization," he said. "… I got to the point this morning where I woke up and I realized, like, I am going to keep dying on this f—ing sword forever of, I'll never, ever be able to do what's best for me. And I will always pick what's best for the organization. And in the end, what's the organization done for me? Like, nothing. Tretter played a central role in Howell's hire, which has been increasingly questioned after it was reported the players might have known about a sexual discrimination lawsuit against him at his previous employer and that he had a massive conflict of interest as a Carlyle Group consultant. It was also revealed last week that a grievance successfully brought by the NFL against Tretter was covered up. The news that Tretter might have replaced Howell when the vote went to the players was met with disbelief and criticism from some former players, many of whom worked in NFLPA leadership or as player representatives. A text message was also reportedly being distributed among players railing against him as "the common denominator in all these scandals." Promoting Tretter to executive director would have represented an endorsement of the NFLPA's leadership in recent years, and it has become very clear that would be a hard sell. The NFLPA has had a very bad month The controversy began last month when Pablo Torre and Mike Florio reported that the NFL and NFLPA buried a ruling on a collusion grievance that saw an arbitrator conclude that the league encouraged its teams to reduce guaranteed money in 2022 after Deshaun Watson's unprecedented, fully guaranteed contract. The NFL actually won the grievance because the arbitrator, Christopher Droney, concluded he could not establish a "clear preponderance" that NFL teams acted on that advice, but he still left a damning sentence on page 55 of a 61-page document: 'There is little question that the NFL Management Council, with the blessing of the Commissioner, encouraged the 32 NFL Clubs to reduce guarantees in veterans' contracts at the March 2022 annual owners' meeting.' The NFL's reason for hiding that conclusion is obvious. It validates many critics' portrayals of a league willing to color outside the lines to suppress player compensation in any way it can get away with. What was less clear was why the NFLPA agreed with the NFL that the public, and more notably the players, didn't need to see that a neutral observer concluded its main adversary was acting in such a way. Questions abounded for Howell and the rest of the union's leadership, and it got worse as the weeks went on. After Howell finally resigned Thursday, it was reported Friday he had been discovered to have expensed more than $3,000 at strip clubs. The NFLPA has never been anywhere close to the most prestigious or effective player union in sports, but the latest developments were beyond the pale enough for many that Tretter couldn't escape the backlash either. JC Tretter compares himself to a 'Game of Thrones' character while defending decisions In a lengthy interview with CBS, Tretter defended himself on many of the above contentions, most notably the notion that he pushed Howell into the executive director role from the shadows. Howell was one of two finalists, alongside former SAG-AFTRA director David White. Tretter said that while Howell performed better in interviews, the NFLPA executive committee voted 10-1 in favor of White over Howell, with Tretter among the 10. However, the committee did not share its preference with the board of 32 player representatives, who voted for Howell. Tretter said her expects there will be changes to the approval process in the next go-around. From CBS Sports: "We did hundreds of hours of work, and we did multiple rounds of interviews. We had people flying into D.C. regularly to meet candidates in person. I don't think it's feasible to do that for everybody," he explained. "… The executive committee is in the day-to-day of it. The board has the approval rights. "It's a fair question. I think that's something that the board and the [executive committee] and the players need to wrestle with as they launch the next search is like, 'How is it set up?' I'm not saying we did everything right. I think we made decisions based off what we had done historically and wanted to do something different and thought what we were doing was the best option. We've learned more since then. There are probably going to be changes. There should be changes. They should do something that they feel confident in and they should learn from every experience they have." Tretter also said he regretted the quote that led to the covered-up NFL grievance, calling it a "dumb tongue-in-cheek remark" and denied having any access to the collusion grievance Howell agreed with the NFL to keep secret. Overall, Tretter had a comparison for his role in all this: Tyrion Lannister. Let's hear him out: Tretter has been thinking about one specific scene from "Game of Thrones" over the last few weeks. Tyrion Lannister is on trial for killing his nephew, King Joffrey, and though he didn't commit the murder, he says that he wished he had. "I wish I was the monster you think I am," Lannister says at his trial. "I felt a lot of that over the last six weeks," Tretter said Sunday. "I'm being accused of being this all-controlling, all-powerful person, and I'm not. And I f—ing wish I was because I don't think we'd be in the same place we are now if I was.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
JC Tretter resigning from NFLPA amid scandals within union
Days after the NFL Players Association's executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. resigned, the favorite to replace him is resigning as well. Former Cleveland Browns center and NFLPA president JC Tretter told CBS Sports that he is resigning from the NFLPA, removing his name from candidacy for the now-vacant executive director position. "Over the last couple days, it has gotten very, very hard for my family. And that's something I can't deal with," Tretter told CBS Sports. "So, the short bullet points are: I have no interest in being [executive director]. I have no interest in being considered; I've let the executive committee know that. I'm also going to leave the NFLPA in the coming days because I don't have anything left to give the organization." NFL, NFLPA explainer: What to know about grievances, Lloyd Howell, next steps Tretter served as president of the NFLPA from 2020 to 2024 and resigns amid multiple scandals involving Howell and the players' union. Howell faced questions after the "Pablo Torre Finds Out" podcast released a 61-page arbitration report showing the NFL encouraged owners "to reduce guarantees in future contracts with players at the March 2022 annual meeting." Howell, the head of the NFLPA at the time, reached a confidentiality agreement with the NFL that kept players and the public from knowing what was in the report. Since his resignation, reports came out that Howell charged the NFLPA for multiple strip club visits. The "Pablo Torre Finds Out" podcast also reported another confidential deal between the NFL and the NFLPA on an investigation into fake injuries. Tretter's comments during an interview in 2023 led to the investigation. Tretter was considered a frontrunner to replace Howell in upcoming NFLPA executive director elections. "I'm not resigning because what I've been accused of is true," he told CBS Sports. "I'm not resigning in disgrace. I'm resigning because this has gone too far for me and my family, and I've sucked it up for six weeks. And I felt like I've been kind of left in the wind taking shots for the best of the organization." OPINION: Former NFLPA head Lloyd Howell was sunk by his own secrets NFLPA chief player officer Don Davis is reportedly the other frontrunner and seems poised to take the position. Davis played linebacker for 11 years in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, St. Louis Rams and New England Patriots. All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY's 4th and Monday newsletter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why JC Tretter is resigning from the NFLPA amid scandals
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
JC Tretter resigns from NFL Players Association
First, Lloyd Howell. Now, JC Tretter. In a lengthy interview that was posted earlier this hour, Tretter tells Jonathan Jones of that Tretter is resigning from the NFL Players Association. The former union president had returned last year, as the NFLPA's chief strategy officer. "Over the last couple days, it has gotten very, very hard for my family," Tretter said. "And that's something I can't deal with. So, the short bullet points are: I have no interest in being [executive director]. I have no interest in being considered; I've let the executive committee know that. I'm also going to leave the NFLPA in the coming days because I don't have anything left to give the organization." But Tretter was a candidate to become the interim executive director. And Pablo Torre's reporting pointed to a broader strategy by Tretter to eventually succeed Lloyd Howell as the full-time, non-interim leader of the union. "I want to get my story out there, and I don't want it to look like this was sour grapes or I didn't get the job and I wanted the job," Tretter said. "All I want to do is tell my story and then go be with my family." He did indeed get his story out there. It comes off as a one-way effort from Tretter to provide his version on anything and everything, with little if any pointed questions or followup. "I'm not resigning because what I've been accused of is true," Tretter said. "I'm not resigning in disgrace. I'm resigning because this has gone too far for me and my family, and I've sucked it up for six weeks. And I felt like I've been kind of left in the wind taking shots for the best of the organization. . . . "I got to the point this morning where I woke up and I realized, like, I am going to keep dying on this fucking sword forever of, I'll never, ever be able to do what's best for me. And I will always pick what's best for the organization. And in the end, what's the organization done for me? Like, nothing. "I've been a bullet shield for six weeks for them where everything that's been controversial, it just all dumps down on me, and I've had nothing to fucking do with it. And that's when I was like, I'm done taking bullets for the [organization] on stuff I wasn't a part of and did not do." Or course, he did badmouth Russell Wilson after he failed to get a fully-guaranteed deal. (Tretter says he called Wilson a "fucking loser" in a text message to former NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith.) Also, Tretter suggested that disgruntled players should fake injuries, sparking a grievance the NFLPA lost in a slam-dunk ruling. So his hands aren't entirely clean. Even without the application of any elbow grease as to the various positions he took in his comments to CBS. Either way, now ends Tretter's time with the union. Since the NFLPA didn't previously have a chief strategy officer, it may not replace him. For now, the primary challenge becomes hiring an interim executive director.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
JC Tretter, Don Davis reportedly in '2-man race' for NFLPA interim executive director job
The race to be the next executive director of the NFL Players Association is down to two men, according to The Athetic's Dianna Russini. Either NFLPA chief strategy officer JC Tretter or chief player officer Don Davis are expected to lead the union following a tumultuous week that saw Lloyd Howell abruptly resign. Representatives from all 32 NFL teams were on a call Friday night to discuss the union's leadership future. Tretter is reportedly seen as the leader ahead of Davis in terms of support from the players. It's unknown if there is a timetable for naming an interim executive director, but whoever gets the job is not expected to end up in the role full time. While Tretter seemingly has the support, Russini also reported on Saturday that a group of players are discussing potential legal action against the NFLPA and Tretter, "citing potential violations around inclusion, labor rights, and misuse of union dues." Howell, who led the NFLPA since 2023, resigned Thursday night after an outside investigator reportedly discovered Howell charged the union for multiple strip club visits, according to ESPN. Howell allegedly charged the union $738.82 on one receipt and another $2,426 during a separate strip club visit. ESPN's report marked the fourth time this offseason Howell's actions as NFLPA executive director came under scrutiny. Journalists Mike Florio and Pablo Torre previously unearthed two grievance rulings the NFL and NFLPA worked to keep secret. One of those rulings found evidence of collusion among teams, a potentially explosive revelation that Howell allegedly not only worked to keep out of the public, but also may have tried to keep from players.
