James McKnight
12/09/03

James McKnight is a starting wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins. He started his NFL career with Seattle in 1994, and was with Dallas in 1999-2000.  James signed a five year contract with the Dolphins as an unrestricted free agent from Dallas in 2001.  He played college football for Liberty. 

Phinatics.com gives James McKnight a special 
"THANK YOU" for his participation.  

Special thanks also go out to Ray Minneci (Ray from NJ)
and Steve Bovard (runRickyrun) for their question contributions.

phinatics.com: Please tell me how you came up with the idea for your company The Agency Group.
James McKnight:  So many corporations make a lot of money off the players, using their images and likeness, and the players are making pennies.  My original thought was to try to bring the corporations and the players together.  You know, if a Ray Lewis is doing anything with Under Armour, then I wanted Ray Lewis to have a position in Under Armour when his playing days are over ... to make that transition off the field.  That's still a work in progress.  And now, the company is doing a lot of memorabilia deals for guys.  For instance, sporting good stores, and things like that, for jersey and pictures for various guys in the NBA and NFL.  Now we are just trying to have the guys brand themselves.  Clean their image up, keep their image clean, and get their face and likeness out in the public so that they can make that money themselves instead of Nike, Reebok, and so forth and so on.

phinatics.com: There are a lot of regular marketing companies and/or sports agents that are already out there for players.  What is different about your group?
James McKnight: I'm trying to be personal with the guys.  I'm not trying to sign them to exclusive deals, where I'm the only one who can work with them ... and if I don't get them work then they just miss out on a deal.  A lot of companies are getting these guys and signing them to exclusive deals.  When you have a little guy who has some good money out there, such as myself, these big companies try to write lawsuits and things like that because they don't want you to get work for these guys.  On the second hand, their not doing it -- they don't have the contacts. See, when you're a big company, you can't be personable because you have too many people that you are working with.  For my company, with about 5 people, we are very personable, and we talk to a lot to our guys, and we are available for them anytime they call.  So, that's a key ingredient for us.

phinatics.com: You've added an entertainment component to your company.  Do you have any upcoming film or music projects coming up?
James McKnight:  We have a film pending that we are looking at.  We are thinking about buying it, and trying to put it out.  It's going to be a low budget film. It can go big, but we want to do it as a pet project.  It's seems pretty good, so we are still throwing that idea around.  We have the door open because there are a lot of nice writers out there that haven't been discovered.  We want to try and make that move with them. They have the material, and we have the resources.  Hopefully, in the near future, the next year or two, we will be getting that entertainment portion of the company on track.

phinatics.com: Will the films be sports related?
James McKnight: The one we are talking about is not a sports related film.  I'd really rather try to stay away from sports related films so that we don't get typecast as if that it's all we're looking for.  We are looking for the scary movies, boo-hoo movies, to the dramas, to the sweet summer day movies -- it really doesn't matter for me.

phinatics.com: Are you more of a venture capitalist, or do you want to be real involved in the whole project?
James McKnight: I want to be as involved as possible.  I don't think it would be as important to you if you're not involved.  If we were just doing it for the money then we would just try to buy the film and then sell it to a bigger studio.  I want to create something.  I have two boys, so I'm thinking long term.  I'm thinking of building a company that is going to stand for a while, and where I can bring a lot of other people with me through my name and success.  I give a lot of people money, pay a lot of bills, insurance and things like that.  We are trying to build a neat little corporation. We are not trying to get too big, but at the same time we want to have something that is going to stand for the duration.  I don't want to have a quick explosion and then the company fade away in ten years.

phinatics.com:  Will you be working with Morlon Greenwood on his next CD?
James McKnight:  I don't know.  We haven't got into the music yet.  We tapped into it, and then pulled back, because we don't have enough guys to go into the music and spend the time to do what we need to do to put on concerts and tours.  But, we are going to do as much as we can to get Morlon's name out there, to get his image out there, and get his name known out in the public.

phinatics.com:  How did you decide on Ricky watches as your first major project?
James McKnight:  It just happened that when we started the company -- the watch idea came into my mind -- and Ricky just had signed with the Miami Dolphins.  With me being on offense, and a player rep, I felt that I was someone he could trust.  I told him that I was starting a company, and that I would love to do some items with him and some promotional things, and let him make some money off the field while at the same time helping me build my company.  I did the same thing with other guys on my team -- Zach, Jason Taylor, Sam Madison, Patrick Surtain.  All those guys told me yes.  So, I have free reign to do things, and they tell me yes or no if they want to do it.  That relationship is all I want.  I don't need those guys to sign on the dotted line.  I don't need to hold them down for 5 or 6 years.  They give me permission to use them --- they make a little money -- and my company gets a little credibility out there.  And now, I can go out and find other people.

phinatics.com:  You already have launched the limited edition Ricky watch (limited to 5000), when will the Ricky sport watches be available?
James McKnight: Either before the end of the year, or the beginning of January.  We kind of got pushed back due to some other complications earlier.  We wanted to try and start it in the middle of the season, or try to launch it at the stadium during one of these Monday nights, or the Washington Redskins game, but that didn't happen.  So, we'll get it.  It's going to come out.  Ricky is a household name right now, so we are just going to capitalize on his marketability right now, and it's just a good fit for us.  I think within the next month the sports watch will hit the floor running.

phinatics.com: Is the sports watch going to be available in retail stores?
James McKnight:  Yes.  We are really trying to have a partnership with Wal-Mart -- and get them to move forward with us on that Ricky deal -- with other athletes coming in the future.  I think they will welcome that knowing the caliber of people we are starting with.  Those names are household names, so I think that will be real appealing to Wal-Mart as well.

phinatics.com: Will people be able to get them online too?
James McKnight:  Yes.  We are going to make it available on our website and RickyWatches.com.

phinatics.com:  You have an "Events" page on your main website.  What kind of Agency Group events can we expect to see in the future?
James McKnight: We were going to do a concert with Morlon over in Jamaica.  You know, try to bring him back, and bring some finances back to his hometown to help some of the less fortunate in Jamaica where he's from, and just benefit some of the charities in Jamaica.  Morlon had some other people he was working with, and we brought our ideas together, and then they tried to run with it.  I pulled back.  Instead of trying to have my name as the headline, we just told Morlon we would support him in anything he does.  We got him in a magazine --- Air Jamaica.  Just giving him some props, trying to get the Jamaican people to support Morlon being a Jamaican born NFL player.  There are not many guys from Jamaica that are playing and starting in the NFL on a great defense like Morlon is.  We are trying to use that as leverage for him, and trying to get him some marketability in Jamaica with some of the corporations over there.

phinatics.com:  Do you plan to go full-time with The Agency Group when you retire from the NFL, or do you have other plans?
James McKnight: Definitely full-time.  I've been in this league for 10 years and a player rep for the last 4 years, and so throughout the league, I have a lot of contacts.  I have a lot of people that know my name, and I have a lot of respect going for myself.  Where most guys can't get in the door because they have no one to vouch for them or validate them ...  I've already broken that bridge down .. so I have easy selling.  The people in the NFLPA work well with me and my company.  My guys can call them, and go into their offices in DC.  My Vice-President Curtis actually lives in DC.  He is finishing up law school at George Washington right now, so he has access to the NFLPA offices and things like that.  So, a lot of things we don't have to go knock down -- it's just a phone call away -- and the people take good care of us right there.

phinatics.com:  Let's talk a little Dolphin football. 
James McKnight:  Bring it on.

phinatics.com:  Can you describe what it was like for you when you ran that amazing double reverse for a touchdown in the Giants game?
James McKnight:  That was the most exciting play in my life. I have ran a lot of reverses in my time.  You know, 40 yards, 30 yards, 20 yards.  But, you know, to take one that far on the field, and take it 68 yards, it felt like driving a car really.  I wasn't getting touched.  I felt like I was weaving in and out of traffic, and I had two big diesels out there blocking for me with Randy McMichael and Chris Chambers.  It was just awesome, man.  It was just run -- just run --- and I knew no one was going to touch me -- it was a great feeling.

phinatics.com:  Even with all your touchdown catches and bomb catches as a wide receiver, that reverse was the most exciting play for you?
James McKnight: Definitely. I am going in the record books with the Miami Dolphins.  That's the longest rush by someone other than a running back, so that's going to stand for quite sometime. I'm happy with that because you play this game to set records and to leave some type of legacy. My sons, years from now, probably will read about their dad having the longest run for a non-running back.

phinatics.com:  Was the Cowboys game any different for you considering you once played there?
James McKnight:  It was tough.  I saw a lot of friends, and the owner Jerry Jones. We talked and I was hugging those guys before the game.  I'm still good friends with all those guys, and a lot of people that work in the front office as well.  They wanted me to do well, and I wanted them to do well.  Obviously, we wanted to kick their butt, but I kind of felt bad for them because of the score ... we put up 40 points on them.  I wanted the win, but I didn't want to embarrass them, and I think they got embarrassed being at home.

phinatics.com:  How do you mentally prepare yourself for these very important final 3 games?
James McKnight:  Look forward.  So many times people want to dwell on the Indianapolis game.  They want to dwell on the Patriots game.  They want to dwell on the games that we lost or we let slip away. And, that's true, but if we want to move forward we can't look in the rearview mirror.  We have to take that rearview mirror down, and continue to look forward.  We have a 3 game season left, and that's it.  If we don't take care of business in these last 3 games, our season is going to end in that last game, and the New York Jets would be our finale.  That's our reality.  We can't cry, gripe, or moan -- we just have to go out and take care of business, and if anyone thinks otherwise, they are fooling themselves.

phinatics.com: Troy Vincent used to play for the Dolphins, and is obviously a great defensive back. How do you think the Dolphins wide receivers matchup against the Eagles DB's?
James McKnight: Well, number one, I know we're faster than their defensive backs.  But, at the same time, Troy and Bobby Taylor are veterans.  They are real savvy. They read your routes, and they read where you line up inside or outside the numbers.  They know you can only go outside or inside on certain spots on the field.  Those guys are very smart, and the keys for us to be effective against those guys is to run great routes.  If you give those guys any keys -- they are going to jump the routes -- and you are going to see a lot of interceptions.

phinatics.com:  What is your fastest 40 time?
James McKnight: The fastest I ran a 40 was a 4.24 when I was with the Cowboys.  That was my first time running, and I was actually kind of tight.  I was going to run again, because I knew I could run a better time, but because I was coming off the ACL reconstructive knee surgery the trainers wouldn't let me run again. I ran such  a good time the first time, and they didn't want to jinx me.  We had a punter, who was actually going to be the starting punter for the Dallas Cowboys, and he ran the 40 like 4 times because he wanted to break 4.40.  He pulled his hamstring and has never played in the NFL again.  They weren't about to get fired by Jerry Jones and let me run and let something happen to me.

phinatics.com:  What has been your most memorable moment in the NFL so far?
James McKnight:  Playing with my man Jon Kitna and Joey Galloway out in Seattle.  We just had a great tandem at wide receiver ... and play making ability out there.  Jon and myself were at a point in time in our career where we were trying to make a name for ourselves.  We just went out there and laid it on the line.  If we fail, we fail. If we pass, we pass.  It felt great just playing with that freedom -- not really looking over your shoulder and thinking about making a bad play or a big play --  you just wanted to go out there and make a play.  I still have that same hunger and that same desire, but it started back in Seattle.

phinatics.com:  What is your favorite play in the Dolphins playbook?
James McKnight:  I think it's a deep crossing route, where I can line up either in the slot, or I can line up short on the right side or left, and run about a 20 yard crossing route behind the linebackers.  The linebackers are being nosy and trying to get their nose down there on Ricky ... and the safeties are getting deep from the guys running deep ... and then you cross over underneath and catch the ball.  That play can particularly go 80 or 90 yards, or it can potentially be a 17 or 20 yard first down.  The possibilities of that one play are great, so I love to run that route.

phinatics.com: What goes through your mind when you point to the sky after scoring a touchdown?
James McKnight:  Me, being a devoted Christian, my whole mission and purpose is to bring God glory through my actions, through my thoughts, and through my contact with people, whether it be on the field or off.  A lot of times when you see one guy score, or make a big play, they do these dances and all this stuff to bring attention to themselves, and that's fine.   I don't knock that one bit, but my intention is to be thankful.  I'm grateful that I am not hurt.  I'm grateful that I can play this game.  I'm grateful that I'm 31 and still have this speed.  So, that's my way of giving God's thanks, so the public can see it.  A lot of guys do it privately, but I want to do it publicly.

phinatics.com: That was my last planned question, but I wouldn't mind expounding on that a little bit if you have an extra minute or so.
James McKnight: Yeah, bring it on, bro.

phinatics.com: With being a Christian in mind, does the ESPN show Playmakers bother you knowing that's definitely not your lifestyle?
James McKnight:  It doesn't bother me because I've seen or heard of bits and pieces of things like that happening, but the possibility of all that happening on one team is ridiculous.  One team couldn't function -- let alone making it to the playoffs -- if all those things were going on with various players on their team.  But, throughout the league, throughout 32 teams, there is potential that all of that is going on.  I don't know about doing the drugs right before the game, and getting high right before the game, that's a bit far fetched and stretching it. But, as far as gay guys, or guys sleeping around with girls, or sleeping around on their wives and things like that, that's the reality of this league and that's the reality of every business profession.  I won't just label me and my colleagues, but that's in every profession ... doctors, lawyers, everything.  That's just the nature of this business.  You have money ... people want to get next to you.

phinatics.com: Is it tougher to be a Christian in the NFL than it might be in something like a blue collar job?
James McKnight: I wouldn't limit to the NFL.  I would just say in professional sports period it's tougher to be a Christian because you have so many groupies ... so many people with all kinds of schemes trying to get at you ... trying to get next to you because of who you are, and not because of what you stand for.  So, it's tough being a Christian because you really have to be strong.  You have to be strong willed, and have self control, because it's easy to get out of control.  Once you're out, it's hard to get back.

Click here to read James McKnight's testimony