First Impressions: Bryan Creekmore

A former University of Louisiana at Monroe Warhawk, Bryan Creekmore is all smiles about his move to the Capital City. Here, he’s attending Southern University, where he is working on a law degree to be sharper for the next step in his career: full-time NFL sports agent.

What brought you to Baton Rouge?
Law school. I finished up getting my master’s in Monroe, and I had taken the test to become a sports agent and passed. I was actually one of the youngest people to pass that test. I realized having a legal background would be helpful, especially with all the stuff that goes on with players—marriages, divorces, buying property and that kind of stuff.

What is that agent test like?
It’s the most difficult test I’ve taken, and that includes law school exams and the LSAT. It’s the NFL Players Association test. It’s what you take to become a certified
contract advisor. The test is to prove you can handle an NFL player’s affairs, from the original rookie contract through his post-football career. You have to apply everything you’ve learned to the situations they give. They want to make sure when you pass this test, you can get your player in the best position for himself, so when [his football career is] over, they’re not just sitting on the side saying, “What do I do?”

So football is 24/7 for you?
No doubt. Even in school, you’re still glued to your phone. I’ll get text messages from players and the other two agents I work with. Constantly talking to player personnel guys if guys got cut, where we need to start looking to sign them. I’m keeping up with injury reports. When I’m watching Sunday games, I’ll make a note of everyone who gets hurt. On Monday morning, I’ll get on the phone: “Hey coach, I heard you lost [this player]. You might want to take a look at our guy.”

What’s your impression of Baton Rouge so far?
It’s great—very unique. When you look at a town where the entirety of the town has that much passion for one thing [LSU football], it’s really cool. With LSU, that’s what you get. Seeing everyone decked out on game days—it’s great.

Favorite local restaurant?
I love Sammy’s, City Pork, George’s, and when I have the chance to grab a beer, The Bulldog. There’s also Tsunami. My wife and I went there one night before sunset.

What did you think of Baton Rouge before moving here?
I had very limited interaction in Baton Rouge before I moved here. I came in town to a football game, but I didn’t stay here very much. Moving down here, I’ve noticed everybody is about as genuine as they can be. They love the town, and they’re proud of it.

What do you like best about Baton Rouge?
Just the amount of stuff there is to do. Coming from a small town with limited options of places to go, cultural events and concerts, there’s so much stuff to do. Anyone who comes and says there’s nothing to do—they’re not looking hard enough.