NFLPA names J.C. Tretter as new executive director, 8 months after his scandal-driven resignation
By Jack Baer, Staff writer
J.C. Tretter is the new executive director of the NFL Players Association, eight months after resigning amid a massive scandal inside the union.
The NFLPA announced Tretter’s election Tuesday evening, shortly before both March Madness and the World Baseball Classic championship game were scheduled to kick off. Tretter has previously served as president of the union during his playing days and chief strategy officer after his retirement.
The NFLPA’s board of player representatives cited a “a comprehensive, player-driven search process” behind the decision and claimed “more than 300 candidates were considered from five primary backgrounds: football, other professional sports, government, labor, and executive management.”
The board’s statement:
“On behalf of the Board of Player Representatives, we are proud to welcome JC Tretter as our new executive director and confident in the leadership that he will bring to our union. This decision reflects the responsibility our Board of Player Representatives carries on behalf of every player. We conducted a thorough, deliberate search to identify the right long-term leader to deliver sustained, meaningful progress for our members. JC earned the trust of our Board and demonstrated a clear commitment to serving this membership. We’re excited about what’s ahead.
“As our union moves into this next chapter, we’d like to thank David White for his steadfast leadership and dedication over the past seven months, which brought stability and focus back to our union.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Tretter’s prime opponent, congratulated him via a statement on Tuesday:
“I want to congratulate JC Tretter on his election as Executive Director of the NFL Players Association. As a former player, JC brings a unique perspective to this critical leadership role shaped by his firsthand experience and a deep understanding of the men he represents. We have worked with JC for several years, first as union president when he helped the league and the NFLPA successfully navigate through COVID during the 2020 season. We look forward to building upon that relationship to further our shared priorities, including our commitment to advancing player health and safety and ensuring the global growth of our game for our fans, the players and our clubs.”
Tretter’s election ends a turbulent saga for the union, but with one of its most criticized figures back in charge. Last summer saw a barrage of negative headlines hit the union, mostly centered around then-executive director Lloyd Hoyell, whose hire Tretter oversaw as president.
Among the problems:
Howell resigned in disgrace on July 17, but that wasn’t the end of it for the union. There were also significant questions about how much the NFLPA leadership, including Tretter, had hid from its players while hiring Howell and then defending him from the brewing backlash.
Those questions came to a head when Tretter campaigned to immediately replace Howell as interim executive director. A significant number of former NFLPA leaders came out against Tretter, leading the 35-year-old to not only drop out of the race but resign from his union post.
As Tretter made his way out of the union, he gave an interview to CBS Sports in which he outright said he had “no interest” in being considered for executive director. He then gave a curious quote, comparing himself to Game of Thrones character Tyrion Lannister and his “I wish I was the monster you think I am” line.
The way he put it:
“I’m being accused of being this all-controlling, all-powerful person, and I’m not. And I f***ing wish I was because I don’t think we’d be in the same place we are now if I was.”
And now he sits on the Iron Throne.
