MIDDLETON – Since 2005, agent Sean Stellato has been looking for clients he feels could be family.

On Thursday afternoon and into the evening, a whole bunch of that family – blood and otherwise – made the trip to Ferncroft CC in Middleton for his 9th annual SES (Stellato Enhanced Sports) golf outing and draft watch party. Along with former Patriots like Patrick Pass, Jermaine Wiggins and Max Lane, about 150 folks golfed, enjoyed a cocktail hour and then a buffet dinner, silent auction and the draft on a massive screen inside the Ferncroft dining area.

With raffles and other items like two of Stellato’s books available for purchase as well as footballs – which kids had autographed by some of the former players and current Stellato clients – there was a little something for everyone.

“I saw the movie Jerry Maguire and said if I can’t play, I want to represent,” Stellato said on the red carpet of his event prior to dinner. “I love the business component and it’s gratifying to be able to take the baton a little further than I was playing Division 1 football and basketball and then the Arena Football League. We’ll be 10 years old next month and it’s all about experience to me. We might not be looked at with the pedigree as a Texas or a Florida, but the passion up here (for football) is remarkable. The Patriots are the face of it and Coach Belichick has done a great job.

“It starts with character (when looking for clients). God blessed me with daughters, I want them to look at these guys as strong male figures as well. They’re an extension of me and I’m an extension of them. There’s a lot of talent out there, but I feel like I operate with respect for every player . I understand trades, I understand intangibles, I understand leadership in the locker room. It’s hard to quantify that, but God blessed me with a good team and I believe I have a knack for talent.”

For clients of Stellato on hand – Brown’s Allen Smith, Merrimack’s James Nyamwaya, quarterback Tommy DeVitto, UNH’s Sean Coyne and someone who’s already been through the process and been in the league, Obi Melifonwu – this night was the start of a weekend they’ve been dreaming of forever. The guys waiting to be drafted will most likely get phone calls following the draft as free agent signings, but also could hear their names on Saturday.

“It’s been a whole bunch of emotions,” Smith said regarding the whole draft process. “Exciting, anxious, but blessed to be here right now. Blessed to be in this position and be considered. I’m just hoping for the best and praying that it all works out. It’s super exciting. It’s been surreal for me because it’s been a dream since I was a young kid. Now, it’s no longer a dream, it’s actually here, so it’s an exciting time.”

“Honestly, it feels crazy right now,” added Nyamwaya. “It’s a surreal feeling. I’ve been working so hard for so long, it’s all paying off finally. I’ve been dreaming about this day for a while, so it feels like a dream right now, I’m not going to lie.”

For a guy like Coyne who had some great Pro Day numbers, the process became very real when he attended the prospect day at Gillette Stadium under the watchful eye of the Patriots staff.

“Surprisingly, the nerves weren’t that bad because it’s just football,” he said. “That’s what I’ve been doing for 20 years. The Pro Day was a little more nerves because running in a straight line for four seconds, there’s not much football there. The day at Gillette was more about football. Now, I’m just trusting the process and know it’s out of my hands. I’ve done everything I can and Coach Santos, the UNH staff and my teammates have been great. He’s meant a lot. He went through this process so he’s been a great resource for me.”

Melifonwu has been able to impart some wisdom on these guys waiting to get the call.

“I believe SES is family and I consider Sean family,” Melifonwu said when asked why he still comes back to these events. “I’ve just told these guys No. 1 enjoy the process and No. 2., grind. Know that you’re being watched every step of the way and give it your all. Just really be yourself and be kind to everyone you meet. Give everything 100% because you never know when that last day might be.”

As Stellato bounced around throughout the evening shaking hands and talking to as many people as humanly possible, he was also still hard at work. The life of an agent never stops.

“This is like my Christmas, Thanksgiving and birthday all rolled into one,” he said. “I just love being around the game, whether it’s going to a children’s hospital, whether it’s running an event, whether it’s a flag football game, whatever it takes to get the job done. My mornings start vertical. Not horizontal. I always give thanks to my Lord and savior Jesus Christ and I think it’s just all about balance. We’ve got a great support system. My wife is great. She grounds me every day and time management is just huge. Each day is strategically planned. I actually just got off the phone with (Broncos head coach) Sean Payton, so it never stops.”

For anyone at the function on Thursday night, you can see why Stellato is so well respected and admired in this cut throat business world. His connection with people – especially his clients – is truly a family affair.

“It’s gotten really, really big,” Stellato added when asked how much bigger this event can get. “We have got so much passion…I’m a big legacy guy. Whether it’s monetary or preserving family traditions, that’s important to me. That’s what we do here. It’s not just about football, it’s about preserving legacies. Hopefully these guys here will get that call and begin building their own legacies, but this event, for me, I want this vision and passion to penetrate everyone we interact with and hopefully, everyone can get something out of this.”