DeMaurice “De” Smith, the former executive director of the National Football League Players Association, was paid a total of $7.85 million in 2023. This was also the year in which the association witnessed the highest amount of net assets. If you are someone who wants to know more about DeMaurice Smith’s net worth, this article is for you. It brings you a detailed estimate of the earnings and salary of DeMaurice “De” Smith. The following article also includes everything you need to know about his journey with the association.
DeMaurice Smith Net Worth: What’s The Current Worth of The NFLPA Ex-Chief
The current net worth of NFLPA Ex-Chief, DeMaurice “De” Smith, is $10 million. This includes all his assets as well as his earnings and salary. He was appointed as the chief of NFLPA in 2009. He played a major role in the 2011 NFL Lookout mediating agreements between the players and the team owners. Smith also worked at Latham & Watkins as a trial lawyer and litigation partner. He served as the chair of the Patton Boggs government investigations and white-collar practice group as well.
The Salary of The NFLPA Ex-Chief
The salary of DeMaurice “De” Smith during the time he worked with the association is reportedly estimated to be around $3 million. At the end of the fiscal year 2023, Smith also received a deferred compensation payout worth $3.44 million. This is according to the tax return the Union filed at that time. He also established a contract promising to serve as the chairman of NFL Players Inc. This also established another deferred compensation grantor trust. However, both Smith and the association have refused to comment on how much NFLPA will continue to pay him.
His Struggles To Be Elected As The Chief Of NFLPA For His Last Tenure
DeMaurice “De” Smith was elected as the chief NFLPA for the last time in the month of October 2021. However, the election wasn’t an easy one for him. The extension of his tenure did not receive anonymous approval from the union’s executive committee. This led to a wider voting among the 32 player reps of the league. He narrowly escaped an open player-wide election with two-thirds votes from the reps. He mentioned to the players in the process that this was his last tenure.
The Reasons For His Struggles
The main reason for his struggles to gain support in the elections was the 10-year labor accord many players disliked. He also received major criticism from the players for the union’s perceived abandonment of Colin Kaepernick. The player accused the NFL of colluding to keep him off the roster because he kneeled to the national anthem. It designated around 48.5% of revenue for players. This is the lowest total of the four major US leagues. The 17th regular season game was also added despite concerns about potential injury risks.
His Replacement
Lloyd Howell Jr. who was the CFO of Booz Allen Hamilton replaced Smith after a pretty lengthy search. The transition from Smith to Howell came when the union was relatively stable. The current labor accord is successfully in place till 2030. During Smith’s tenure, the association witnessed a quadruple in its net assets. Charles Ross who was serving as the CFO of NFLPA also departed from the association following Smith’s replacement.
