The movie "Jerry Maguire" touched many people with its heartwarming tale of a sports agent's struggle with problems in his career and personal life. Few know that Leigh Steinberg is "Jerry Maguire."

The film portrayed greedy and arrogant football players and their agents who will do just about anything to get to the top. Maguire, played by Tom Cruise, was fired from a major sports agency for writing a mission statement. He then starts working out of his house with only one client.

Steinberg, now one of the top sports agents in the country, in charge of negotiations for almost 300 professional athletes including Troy Aikman, started out of his home with one client.

"There was no field of sports agentry when I started out," Steinberg said. "Most agents represented themselves or were represented by their families or friends."

Steinberg was at law school at the University of California-Berkely where he was a dorm manager his last year. The university moved the freshman football team, including Steve Bartkowski, former Atlanta Falcons quarterback, into the dorm and Steinberg was put in charge of the players.

After Steinberg graduated in 1974, he traveled the world for a year. When he came back, Bartkowski was looking to go professional, and he asked Steinberg to represent him since he had some knowledge of the law.

"He went first in the draft pick in 1975, and we negotiated the largest rookie contract in NFL history," Steinberg said.

They went to Los Angeles to negotiate the contract, and when they flew back, they were met with a barrage of reporters. Steinberg fondly remembered hearing, "We interrupt the Johnny Carson show to bring you live, in-depth interview with Steve Bartkowski and Leigh Steinberg."

"I felt then how celebrities are role models," Steinberg said. "I knew that if I was going to work with athletes, I wanted to stress the values that passed the test of time."

"I want to give the athletes the opportunity to be good role models. "So athletes can be role models. They have the opportunity to make an impact on and off the field."

His philosophy of giving back and making a positive contribution to society is what makes Steinberg stand apart from others in his industry.

"If Troy Aikman stands up and says, 'You know, real men don't hit women,' he can trigger behavioral changes that 100 authority figures would never be able to do," Steinberg said.

"A Kerry Collins, for example, established an endowed lifetime scholarship at Penn State. At the professional level, it can be Steve Young, the Forever Young Foundation that gives money to underprivileged kids. It can be Drew Bledsoe and his foundation that helps troubled families," Steinberg said.

A portion of every contract he negotiates includes a clause requiring athletes to give back to their hometown, high school, university or some other national foundation. His clients have donated more than $60 million to worthy causes nationwide.

Being an agent provides a "real opportunity to help in the maturation of a young person," Steinberg said. "It is great for teaching and counseling at a critical junction in life, counseling them on how to deal with fame, adversity and the money involved."

"To someone who loves sports, being an agent is a tremendously vicarious way to stay close to sports even if you cannot be an athlete. It provides a rooting interest that amplifies the general interest of sports."

REAL-LIFE STORY

Steinberg allowed Cameron Crowe, writer and director of "Jerry Maguire," to follow him around so that he could show people what the industry is really like.

"I wanted to do this movie so people could have a stronger sense of what we do," Steinberg said.

"With the exception of Rod Tidwell jumping up after being knocked out and dancing around the field, it followed the profession pretty closely," Steinberg said.

"It followed me pretty closely, except for the beginning. I don't think I was ever like that."

The infamous "show me the money" line was inspired by one of Steinberg's clients. Tim McDonald, a 49er safety, was asked what he looks for in an agent and a team. He replied the the theme money line from CNN playing in the background, that he went for the money.

In addition to "Jerry Maguire," Steinberg has also consulted on "For Love of the Game," "Any Given Sunday" and the HBO original series, "Arli$$."

As with every industry, being a sports agent does have its downside.

"The down sides are the injury rates," said Steinberg. "Sometimes I think I should have gone to medical school instead of law school. My chief nemesis is the concussion. With all of the technological advances, the brain is the last one to make any. They really can't tell you how many is too many.

"I have crusaded for better helmet technology, to have a neurologist on the sidelines and for no more astroturf. I have received no response from the NFL on any of these issues. Instead of just working in the industry, I respond to go further and try to better the industry."

Another downside of the industry is agents who do not care about their clients.

When asked about how he felt about Auburn's scandal involving Chris Porter receiving money from an agent before allowed, Steinberg said, "I don't know why some people would jeopardize and risk an athletes eligibility for their own glorification."

"To be an agent you have to be honest and care about your client's well being."

Steinberg is in his 25th year as an agent and has seen many changes in the business throughout that time. The most immense changes in the business that he has seen have been economic.

"In 1975 each NFL team received $2 million per year for television contracts. When (Troy) Aikman started playing, each team was receiving $17 million a year," according to Steinberg.

That was just when there were the three main networks covering the market, ABC, NBC and CBS. Then cable and satellite TV started entering.

"When FOX came along they wanted to be one of the top three networks and created a huge bidding frenzy. Their goal was to be on of the top three and get enough viewers to watch their network for there to be an impact on the primetime viewing," said Steinberg.

"In 1995 each team received $40 million due to FOX overbidding. Now, each team is receiving $73 million a year."

In an effort to share his 25 years of experience in the professional sports business, Steinberg has written "Winning With Integrity." This best selling book provides readers with insight on how to improve their life through non-confrontational negotiation.

"Everyone negotiates in their life," said Steinberg, "and most don't do a good job. In the book I tried to help people make better choices. In relationships people either are unruly and tough or extremely passive and get bulldozed.

"Bullying is not as good as people think. It may work the first time but we often have to do repetitive business and have to deal with that person again. Bullying rarely works a second time."

Evidently Steinberg knows what he is talking about to have clients like Troy Aikman, Sugar Ray Leonard, Warren Moon, John Starks and Steve Young.

Baseball player Greg Olson is currently the only Auburn alum to be represented by Steinberg Moorad & Dunn. Olson, who has been in the major league since 1988, is currently a relief pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers.