Kevin Warren

Kevin Fulbright Warren (born November 17, 1963) is an attorney and professional sports executive. He is currently the Chief Operating Officer of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League, and is the highest ranking African-American executive working on the business side for an NFL team.^[1]

Early years

Kevin Warren was born in Phoenix, Arizona. At an early age, he developed an admiration for sports, which he attributes to members of his family. His father, the late Dr. Morrison Warren, Sr., played professional football for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1948,^[2] and went on to be the first African-American President of a major college bowl game Board of Directors when he was named President of the 1982 Fiesta Bowl Board of Directors.^[3] Arizona State University (ASU) recently named Dr. Warren as one of the Top 50 ASU football players of all time.^[4] His eldest brother, Morrison Warren, Jr., played football at Stanford in the early 1960s, and was one of the first African-American scholarship student-athletes at Stanford.^[1]

At the age of 12, Kevin was struck by a car and forced into traction and a body cast for six months.^[5] It was viewed as highly unlikely that he would ever fulfill any dreams he had of playing sports. However, Warren recovered, had a successful high school career, and was eventually recruited to play college basketball.

Education

Warren decided to attend the University of Pennsylvania his freshmen year, where he was a member of the Quakers' 1982 Ivy League Basketball Championship team. Warren returned home to Arizona to attend Arizona State University, before ultimately enrolling at Grand Canyon University (GCU) his red-shirt junior year. He earned his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from GCU in 1986,^[1] excelling both inside the classroom and on the basketball court.

During his two-year career at GCU, he scored 1,118 points and averaged 20.0 points per game. This is the fourth-best all-time scoring average in the school’s history. During his senior season, he averaged 23.3 points per game, which also ranks as the fourth-best season average in GCU basketball history. He once posted a 42-point performance against Concordia College on November 17, 1984. That performance is the fourth-highest single game scoring total in school history.^[6] Warren also earned GTE/CoSida Academic All-America honors as a senior, along with NAIA Academic All-America honors and NAIA District 7 Basketball Team honors as both a junior and senior. He posted a cumulative 3.49 GPA while at GCU.^[1][6] On March 2, 2012, Kevin Warren was honored as the 16th individual and 5th member from the University’s basketball team to be inducted into the Grand Canyon University Athletics Hall of Fame.^[6]

Following his graduation from GCU, Kevin Warren attended Arizona State University where he earned his Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 1988. He subsequently attended the University of Notre Dame Law School where he earned his Juris Doctor (J.D.) in 1990.^[5]

Bar Membership

Warren is licensed to practice law with the State Bar of Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota (House Counsel-Rule 10), and the District of Columbia.^[1]

Career

Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC. (1990-1991)

Kevin Warren began his law career at Bond, Schoeneck & King in Overland Park, Kansas (1990–91).^[5] As an associate at Bond, Schoeneck & King, he got his first exposure to sports law. The firm specialized in representing universities that were charged with NCAA violations. While at the firm, Warren was fortunate to work with current Southeastern Conference Commissioner, Mike Slive, and sports attorney Mike Glazier on many high profile cases.^[1]

Kevin F. Warren & Associates (1992-1997)

In 1991, while teaching a class at Notre Dame, Warren befriended All-American defensive lineman Chris Zorich.^[7] Warren went on to establish his own sports and entertainment agency, Kevin Warren & Associates in Overland Park, Kansas, with Zorich becoming his first client. He signed the now-legendary Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Will Shields.^[7] Warren also represented Lake Dawson, the current Vice President of Football Operations for the Tennessee Titans, who played professionally for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Indianapolis Colts. Kevin Warren & Associates was in operation from 1992-1997. During his time in Kansas City, Warren also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law.^[8]

St. Louis Rams (1997-2001)

In 1997, Warren was hired in a legal/front office position with then St. Louis Rams head coach Dick Vermeil.^[7] Kevin Warren held the position of Vice President of Player Programs/Football Legal Counsel for the St. Louis Rams from 1997 to 2000 before being promoted to Vice President of Football Administration.^[8] When he began the position he commuted from his home in Kansas City to St. Louis and stayed in a hotel near the Rams facilities.^[7] Coach Vermeil allowed him to participate in football related meetings, film sessions and personnel meetings. Warren credits this experience with providing him with priceless knowledge and credits Coach Vermeil with giving him his big break into the NFL.^[7] Kevin Warren earned a Super Bowl Ring with the Rams when they defeated the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV.^[1] He was touted by coach Vermeil as being "as critical and important a part of [the] Rams World Championship team as anybody in [the] organization."^[6]

Detroit Lions (2001-2003)

In 2001, Warren joined the Detroit Lions as the Senior Vice President of Business Operations & General Counsel. During his stint with the Lions, Warren was recognized by Crain’s Detroit Business on their “40 Under 40” list, which honored the top 40 Detroit business leaders under the age of 40.^[1]

Greenberg Traurig (2003-2005)

Following his time with the Lions, Warren returned to Phoenix where he worked for the international law firm Greenberg Traurig. He worked at Greenberg Traurig from 2003-2005. During this time he represented the Wilf family and Minnesota Vikings ownership group in what became a $600 million deal to purchase the Minnesota Vikings.^[5] Zygi Wilf and five partners purchased the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League from Red McCombs in 2005.^[9] Forbes estimates the 2013 value of the franchise at US$1.007 billion, or 21st of the 32 NFL teams.^[10]

Minnesota Vikings (2005-Present)

Warren is currently the Vice President of Legal Affairs and Chief Administrative Officer, and is responsible for various day-to-day business, operational and administrative issues, legal affairs, strategic planning, human resources, and special projects. He also serves as a member of the Vikings’ internal stadium development team and represents the Vikings at NFL meetings.^[8] In 2007, NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell appointed Warren to the NFL’s working group on emergency planning.^[11] In September 2013, Warren’s reputation and NFL experience were once again recognized, when he was named a member of the NFL Committee on Workplace Diversity, which is committed to enhancing and promoting diversity at every level of the NFL.^[1]

Norton Rose Fulbright

In addition to his duties with the Vikings, he is also Of Counsel at Norton Rose Fulbright, a 3,800 lawyer international law firm with 54 offices across six continents.^[1]

Stadium

Kevin Warren has been active in the team’s long running quest for a new stadium. He has been instrumental in selecting the designers, developers, legal advisors and the Vikings' intermediate location for play, TCF Bank Stadium, while their new $975 million stadium is being built.^[12] The new stadium is set to be ready for play by the 2016 NFL season.^[13]

Community involvement & recognitions

Recognitions

In 2002, while working for the Detroit Lions, Warren was recognized by Crain’s Detroit Business on their “40 Under 40” list, as one of the top 40 Detroit business leaders under the age of 40.^[6] In 2006, the Twin Cities Business Journal recognized him as a Minority Business Leader. Following the 2008, 2009, and 2012 NFL seasons, Warren received the Fritz Pollard Alliance “Salute to Excellence” Award.

Board Memberships

Warren was a member of the United Way Board of Directors from 2007-2010,^[1] the University of Minnesota’s Medical Foundation Board of Directors from 2010-2013, has served on the Page Education Foundation Board of Directors since 2006, and became a member of the Benilde-St. Margaret High School Board of Directors in the spring of 2012. In the summer of 2012, Warren also became a member of the Notre Dame Law School Advisory Council.^[1] He was appointed in September 2012 to the Board of Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ: LOPE), which operates his alma mater Grand Canyon University^[14] where he is a member of the audit committee, and the nominating and corporate governance committee.^[15] In 2013, Warren transitioned from his position on the University of Minnesota’s Medical Foundation Board of Directors to the University of Minnesota Foundation Board of Trustees.^[16] Warren is also a life member of the Fiesta Bowl Board of Directors.^[1]

Community Involvement

In August 2012, Kevin Warren and his wife Greta adopted Lucy Craft Laney Community School in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 2012, the Warrens donated 650 backpacks filled with school supplies to the entire student body and in 2013, the Warrens donated 700 school supply filled backpacks. The backpacks were age appropriate for the primary, elementary, and junior high students. The Warrens plan to donate additional school supplies throughout the school year and envision developing a long-term plan to provide assistance and educational resources to the school. Among the resources they have contributed are school supplies, school uniforms, and athletic uniforms. The family is also in the process of designing and funding the cost for an on-site computer lab that will be dedicated in early 2014.^[17][18]

Personal

Kevin Warren is married to Greta Warren, who holds a bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University. The couple has a daughter, Peri, and a son, Powers. The family resides in the greater Twin Cities area.^[1]

References