Ghanaian-born 13-Year-Old signs $1 Million Contract

Freddy Adu, a 13-year-old soccer phenom whose family relocated from Ghana to Potomac five years ago, has agreed to a $1 million contract with Nike after signing with one of the sport's top agents, sources said, but he is unlikely to sign a professional playing contract for at least another year.

Adu, who was offered a lucrative deal from Italian powerhouse Inter Milan when he was 11, continues to train and practice with the U.S. under-17 national team in preparation for August's world championships in Finland. His mother, Emilia, signed the deal with Nike on Thursday and the company is expected to announce more details of the agreement shortly.

Arnold Tarzy, a local attorney and an Adu family adviser, helped them search for an agent to represent Freddy's playing and professional interests, and Adu recently signed with Richard Motzkin and Dan Segal, whose stable of clients at SportsNet, LLC includes young stars such as Landon Donovan.

The Adu family would not discuss details of the deal with Nike ("It's certainly more than a month-to-month contract," Tarzy said), but sources said it is a multiyear agreement and is worth approximately $1 million. Motzkin declined to comment when reached yesterday, and Nike officials were unavailable over the holiday weekend. An announcement of both signings is likely to come this week.

By signing these contracts Adu has relinquished his amateur status -- although he had long planned to play professionally as a teenager and has no desire to participate in NCAA soccer -- and he is using the Nike deal as a de facto insurance policy should an injury derail his career. The money will also allow the family to spend more time together; Adu's mother worked two jobs after winning an immigration lottery to come to this country and did not have the means to visit Freddy as he trains and attends school in Florida with the rest of the under-17 national team.

"This deal gives Freddy the ability financially to go through school and not have to sell his playing ability [to a team] to get from point A to point B in his career," Tarzy said. "This acts as his insurance. There's not the same kind of money being offered around to soccer players like there is for basketball, and it is difficult to get the kind of insurance that could set Freddy up for life if something happened. There aren't LeBron James deals being offered in soccer."

Most endorsement deals include provisions that the athlete must make a certain number of appearances per year and wear products only from their sponsoring company. Adu, however, is still in school -- he is on pace to graduate high school in an accelerated program next spring -- and thus cannot fulfill those kinds of obligations. He is also too young to organize clinics or youth gatherings, and Nike is still contemplating other ways to utilize the player's talents.

His contract calls for a set number of appearances over the duration of the contract -- rather than on a year-to-year basis -- and sources said the deal stipulates very little duties on Adu's part, with Nike in essence securing rights to the player at a young age and at a minimal expense.

"They haven't really talked about specifics with us," Tarzy said.

Adu, who will turn 14 on June 2, has drawn international attention for his tremendous skills and been featured in television and print stories in Japan, Brazil, England and elsewhere. Scouts from European teams have been tracking him for years and he has excelled in scrimmages against MLS teams.

However, his family has rebuffed all offers, trying to give Adu the most normal adolescence possible and putting his education above all else.

That remains the priority and Adu will stay in Florida until he graduates. There is a possibility Adu could participate in the 2004 Summer Olympics -- that is conducted in an under-23 format -- and he would likely consider professional playing options then. Adu might play a season or two in MLS, he is interested in playing only for D.C. United (to stay close to his family) and the league is very interested in securing his services when he turns pro, sources said.

"Freddy isn't going to be signing with any teams any time soon," Tarzy said. "He doesn't graduate high school until the spring of 2004 and we have our fingers crossed about the chance to play with the Olympic team."

However, the youngster wants to head to Europe early in his career to get the best training and face the best competition possible. Technically, Adu could not sign a true professional contract with a team in Europe until he is 16, but it is common for teams to create exceptions to that rule.

Motzkin's agency has contacts throughout Europe and has helped many Americans get contracts abroad and also brokered a complicated deal between Nike, MLS and German team Bayer Leverkusen that allows Donovan to play near his home in San Jose while still tied to the German club. That kind of expertise drew the Adus to Motzkin, who has met with the family in the past and has known Freddy for several years.