DeMaurice Smith on Leadership Lessons from the NFL to the Classroom

DeMaurice Smith, author of Turf Wars: The Fight for the Soul of America’s Game, joins Michael Zeldin for a special two-part podcast series. In this conversation, Smith reflects on his 14 years as Executive Director of the National Football League Players Association, chronicling the challenges, negotiations, and victories that shaped the modern NFL.

Turf Wars offers an unfiltered look at the fight to protect players’ rights and reshape the culture of America’s most popular sport. Smith’s perspective is informed by a distinguished career that includes serving as an assistant United States attorney, counsel to the U.S. deputy attorney general, and partner in major law firms. He now brings his expertise to the classroom as a visiting professor of law at Pepperdine University.

For communications professionals, Smith’s journey offers powerful leadership takeaways. He demonstrates how to build trust in the face of skepticism, how to lead with clarity during crisis, and how to craft a strong, consistent narrative that unites diverse stakeholders. His insights show the value of resilience, negotiation, and transparency in driving meaningful change.

This is a rare opportunity to hear directly from the man who led the NFLPA through some of its most defining moments, with lessons that extend far beyond the playing field.