Controversial Expenses Lead to NFLPA Executive’s Resignation
It might be worth considering that some costs shouldn’t be covered by your company.
On Thursday, Lloyd Howell Jr. stepped down as executive director of the NFL Players Association amid revelations of expenses related to two separate visits to strip clubs. This incident has drawn significant attention, as reported by ESPN.
While there were various factors cited regarding Howell’s decision to resign, the strip club visits seemed to resonate most with his remark, “It is clear that my leadership has become a distraction to the important work that the NFLPA advances every day.”
Howell’s first controversy was rather quickly unfolding.
He arrived at Fort Lauderdale International Airport on November 2, 2023, around 10:30 PM, and proceeded directly to a Miami Gardens strip club, with car service waiting for him.
He made the driver wait outside “Toocy’s Cabaret” for an astounding seven hours, while he enjoyed his time inside. He returned home to Sunny Isles Beach by 6 AM.
The bill for this car service, which he charged to the union, totaled $738.82.
A year later, Howell faced another episode—this time with two colleagues in tow.
During the 2025 NFLPA Summit in Atlanta this February, Howell and the two union members visited the Magic City Strip Club, racking up expenses close to $2,500.
This amount included multiple cash withdrawals from the club’s ATMs, ranging from $200 to $525, along with charges for two “VIP rooms.”
How was the hefty $2,426 expense justified? It was explained as “a player engagement event to support and grow our union.”
A former union official mentioned that the NFLPA has rigorous reimbursement policies, especially concerning “entertainment.” These rules, however, do not specifically mention strip clubs.
“I think anyone in the right mind would think that’s an optically good scenario,” the former employee remarked.
Interestingly, these weren’t Howell’s first run-ins with such expenses. Back in 2015, while working for Booz Allen, he was questioned about a visit to a strip club in Manhattan. He and his colleagues had accumulated thousands of dollars in expenses there before his peers requested a refund for the expenses report.
Howell received criticism for his actions, while one of his colleagues ended up losing their job over it.
