New NFL Players Association Executive Director

DeMaurice Smith was elected by the league’s 32 player representatives as the new NFL Players Association executive director on Sunday night and wasted no time, spending his first day on the job getting a start on labor talks with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and uniting the union ranks following a divisive seven-month search to replace former union boss Gene Upshaw who died from cancer complications in August.

Smith had a brief phone conversation with the commissioner and started putting together a transition team to assume the reins of North America’s most powerful sports union as it approaches a critical juncture. He said the call was the first conversation of the collective bargaining agreement.

Labor talks are among the numerous challenges Smith immediately faces in becoming the fourth executive director in the union’s 41-year history. NFL owners opted out of the collective bargaining agreement last year, opening the possibility for labor strife if a new deal is not settled by 2011. Smith said his goal is to maintain the labor peace that has allowed the NFL to emerge as “America’s Game” over the past two decades. But he warned that he is also preparing for “war” if needed.

Another immediate challenge Smith must deal with is repairing the rift between the union and a group retired players, who feel disenfranchised over their poorly funded pension and medical plans. Smith called it “a moral obligation” to address the concerns of retired players and noted that his transition team will include retired players.

DeMaurice Smith was regarded as an outsider, having no ties to the union or NFL. His strengths included his connections to power, having ties to President Barack Obama and has worked with new U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. He has no labor law experience but is a trial lawyer and partner at the influential Washington-based Patton Boggs, and chair of the firm's government investigations and white collar practice group.

Other candidates for the job were sports attorney David Cornwell, and retired players Troy Vincent and Trace Armstrong. He has invited each to become part of his staff and has also asked retired coach Tony Dungy to become part of his staff.