A Baltimore native who grew up blocks from the old Memorial Stadium has become part of NFL history alongside her own daughter, forming the league's first mother-daughter tandem of certified player agents. Edy Lawson-Jackson and Samira Jackson Brady now represent players around the league, including Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs, while working to widen a path for women in an industry still dominated almost entirely by men.
Lawson-Jackson earned her NFL Players Association contract adviser certification in November 2010, and 12 years later, in October 2022, her daughter followed in her footsteps to earn her own certification, according to the Chicago Defender. Together they became the first mother-daughter duo to become certified NFL agents, working out of Affiliated Sports Advisors as they represent players trying to turn their dreams into reality.
Speaking with WMAR-2 News at M&T Bank Stadium, Lawson-Jackson said Baltimore instilled in her the drive to chase what she wants. Lawson-Jackson attended Baltimore City College High School, growing up in the shadow of the old Memorial Stadium, an upbringing that helped spark her early fascination with professional sports.
A Bar Exam, an Ambulance, and a Baby Weeks Later
Long before she was negotiating NFL contracts, Lawson-Jackson was fighting to launch a legal career while pregnant. She passed the Maryland bar exam on her first attempt in July 1993 while experiencing Braxton-Hicks contractions during the test, and medical personnel kept an ambulance on standby outside the exam hall in case she delivered early, the Chicago Defender reports. Weeks later, in August 1993, she gave birth to her daughter Samira, the same daughter who would grow up to become her partner in NFL agent work three decades later.
Lawson-Jackson began her sports law career interning with a sports and entertainment attorney in 1989, later establishing her own solo practice, the Law Office of E.A. Lawson-Jackson, LLC, per the Chicago Defender. She spent more than two decades practicing law before earning her NFLPA certification in 2010, a path that led her to create an opening for her daughter to eventually follow into the NFL.
Samira Jackson Brady brought her own credentials to the partnership, having earned a law degree and built professional experience in corporate finance before earning her NFLPA agent certification in October 2022, according to Essence. She described her mother as her mentor and best friend, and told WMAR-2 News that watching and assisting their players in living out their dreams is something she and her mother experience together. Being part of their players' journeys, she said, feels wonderful.
Still a Small Fraction of the Room
The mother-daughter duo's achievement stands out against a stark backdrop: out of 994 certified NFLPA contract advisers in 2024, only 88 were women, representing less than 9% of all certified agents in professional football, according to Cronkite News. Women remain only a small fraction of the agents representing NFL players, and industry observers note that female agents face steep hurdles breaking into networks long dominated by established, mostly male agencies.
Reaching certification itself is no small feat. Applicants must pay a $2,500 nonrefundable fee, hold an undergraduate degree plus a master's or law degree — or demonstrate seven years of negotiating experience — clear a background check, attend a mandatory multi-day seminar, and pass a proctored exam on the league's collective bargaining agreement, per the NFLPA. That computer-based exam has a first-time pass rate of around 25%, yet both Lawson-Jackson and her daughter passed both the state bar and the NFLPA certification exam on their first attempts.
Even certification doesn't guarantee a foothold in the business. Sports industry data shows fewer than 20 female agents nationwide represent players actively signed to 53-man NFL rosters at any given time, according to Front Office Sports, since the vast majority of active player contracts are concentrated among a small number of large agencies. Agent compensation is capped too — NFLPA regulations limit agent fees to a maximum of 3% of a player's contract value, with the average agent fee sitting closer to 2.9%.
The barriers make the achievements of agents like Nicole Lynn stand out nationally. In 2023, Lynn became the first Black woman to negotiate a landmark NFL contract when she secured a five-year, $255 million extension for Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, according to the Phoenix New Times. Lynn had also previously become the first Black woman to represent a top-three NFL draft pick in 2019.
Eyes on a Future Ravens Client
Back home in Baltimore, Lawson-Jackson and Jackson Brady visited the Black Wing Ravens suite during their visit to M&T Bank Stadium, a reminder that they remain Baltimore football fans even as their client roster spans the league. The duo also hopes to eventually have a client suit up for the Ravens, and Lawson-Jackson has already spoken with the Ravens head coach about bringing in one of their players, according to the WMAR-2 News report.
Samira Jackson Brady said that anyone who finds themselves in a room of opportunity belongs there and should bring someone else with them, a philosophy that runs through the pair's approach to scouting talent. They say they look for potential in players that NFL teams have overlooked, and Lawson-Jackson credits hard work and grit for helping her and her daughter get this far.
Together, the two say they are working to make sure women belong in every room where football decisions are made, and that the path they've carved stays open for the women who come after them.
