Top NFL agent talks about balancing Jewish faith, traditions with high-octane career
At 25, Ness Mugrabi is one of the youngest and most successful sports agents in the industry.
The Brooklyn native has helped to land huge contract deals for dozens of NFL players, including DeMarcus Lawrence, Xavien Howard and Matt Gay.
Although Mugrabi is constantly on the field and on his phone, when the sun goes down on Friday night, he's unreachable. As an observant Orthodox Jew, Mugrabi told ABC News Live that he adheres to his strict religious observances that forbid any technology.
"I tell my players all the time, 'Hey, you can call me at four in the morning. I'll answer your call. But if you call me on Friday night at 9 p.m., I won't write,'" he told ABC News.
Mugrabi said his faith and religious practices help him balance his work and family life, and the latter has been one of the major driving forces in his career.
Mugrabi said he's always been a fan of sports and been passionate about football.
About 12 years ago, Mugrabi said he called up the offices of the Miami Dolphins asking to speak with then-head coach Tony Sparano after watching the team's loss against the Broncos.
A few days later, Mugrabi got a call back from the Dolphins inviting him and his family to see the team play and to meet Sparano.
Mugrabi said he was taken in by the behind-the-scenes workings and stayed in touch with the Dolphins' staff. He said he also began researching agents and other front offices.
"There's such a big business behind what goes on in the field," he said. "And that's where I really got to love to want to be in the business as either an agent or a front office executive."
Mugrabi's parents, both immigrants, told ABC News Live that they supported their son's aspirations, even though they knew nothing about American football.
"We watched 'Jerry Maguire' so that I could understand exactly what it is," Mugrabi's mother Maya told ABC News Live, referencing the movie starring Tom Cruise as a sports agent. "I also said…'Follow your dream, and if it doesn't work out, there's always something else. But try.'"
When Mugrabi was 16, he and his father traveled to Indianapolis for the NFL scouting combine and a sports management conference. While eating at a local restaurant, Mugrabi said he had a chance encounter with longtime NFL agent David Canter.
Canter told ABC News that he was shocked that someone that young would recognize and idolize him on the spot.
"In my mind, I thought like a team or somebody was like going to be goofing on me and joking like, 'We got you. This kid recognizes you,'" he said.
Canter took Mugrabi under his wing as an intern and Mugrabi was attending meetings, helping with contracts and other duties while he was earning his college degree.
Canter and Mugrabi would ultimately become partners, and made a name for himself among top NFL players.
One of Mugrabi's clients Cory Barton, a linebacker for the Washington Commanders, told ABC News that the agent is always there for him to answer any question he needs.
"That man, you know, is a true friend to me, not just a coworker," Barton told ABC News.
Soon more of Mugrabi's family would follow him into the industry.
Mugrabi's brother Joe works in sports marketing and two other siblings work as Joe Mugrabi's interns.
"I think without the personal family touch, the relationships aren't as meaningful," Mugrabi said.
Mugrabi said dutifully observing the Sabbath gives him an advantage, the time with family and a mental reset to get out of the 24/7 grind.
He added that as a Jew and an agent, those traditions are about something even greater.
"Judaism is not…shutting off your phone on Friday. The main thing is being a good person, being a good human being, [and] to respect the person next to you," he said.
