Leigh Steinberg says ‘Jerry Maguire’ humanized sports agents as public perception was ‘not the best’ in ’90s

Before Leigh Steinberg earned widespread fame as the “real Jerry Maguire,” he was already a household name among sports enthusiasts, representing professional athletes such as former NFL quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Steve Young, as well as defensive end Bruce Smith, in the 1980s.

In 1996, Hollywood star Tom Cruise portrayed Steinberg in the comedy-drama “Jerry Maguire,” alongside Renée Zellweger and Cuba Gooding Jr., among others, in a story that mapped out the situational representation of top talent in cutthroat industries like the NFL and MLB.

“I think that it humanized sports agents in the minds of the public and showed that there’s caring that goes on,” Steinberg told Fox News Digital of the classic film, which garnered over $150 million at the box office.

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“The image of agents was not the best.”

Arguably one of the most quotable films of the 1990s, “Jerry Maguire” features iconic lines like “You had me at hello” and “You complete me.”

However, there is one four-word phrase that resonates so deeply with fans of both the film and Steinberg that they, without fail, ask him to deliver it in person.

“Every time I walk through an airport, or go out to dinner, even after 26 years, someone runs up to the table or runs up to me in an airport and shouts four words — ‘Show me the money!,’” Steinberg said.

During a one-minute scene, the juxtaposition of Cruise, stressed in a stuffy office setting, and Gooding, shirtless, dancing in his kitchen, shouting “Show me the money!” back and forth, provided viewers with a comedic and pivotal arc in the film.

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“I thought he did an outstanding job,” Steinberg said of Cruise’s portrayal. “Cameron Crowe is a gifted director.”

While filming, Steinberg told Fox News Digital that he took Gooding to Super Bowl XXX in Phoenix and “made him pretend he was a wide receiver of mine for a whole week.”

“He had to pretend I was his agent,” Steinberg said.

Today, Steinberg, 76, continues to represent athletes, including Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. In addition, Steinberg dedicates himself to the Leigh Steinberg Foundation, which aims to educate and raise information about the risks of athletic concussions and fund prophylactic treatment of concussions and healing the concussed brain.

“I’ve been very involved with restating what an agent’s responsibility is, and I think part of it is to care for a player’s health,” Steinberg said.