Harry Carson, NFL Hall of Fame Linebacker

Topic: Captain for Life

Location: Ballroom, Nittany Lion Inn

Introduction / Moderator: Nicholas Jones / Patty Satalia

Harry Carson is a lecturer and motivational speaker to groups that range from juvenile and prison inmates to high school scholars, from college athletes to corporate executives and political leaders.

Carson’s 13-year stint with the New York Football Giants is one of the longest tenures in club history. The indestructible former linebacker served as Team Captain for 10 of his 13 seasons including the 1986 season when the Giants defeated the Denver Broncos 39-20 in Super Bowl XXI. Rated the #1 “Inside Linebacker” in NFL history according to Pro Football Weekly, Carson was named to the All-Rookie Team after his first NFL season.

Subsequently, during his NFL career, he was named to the All-NFL Team 7 times, the All-NFC Team 8 times, and NFC Linebacker of the Year twice. He once made an amazing 25 tackles in a Monday Night Football Game against the Green Bay Packers. With performances like that he was selected by his peers to play in the NFC-AFC Pro Bowl 9 times and he is among the top 250 players to ever play professional football with his 2006 induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Currently Carson serves as Executive Director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, an organization representing National Football League minority non-player personnel dedicated to creating greater racial diversity within the National Football League.

Carson is President of Harry Carson Inc. a Sports Consulting and Promotions Company. HCI consults with media outlets, educational sources and corporations on sports as well as non-sports related issues. Harry Carson Inc. provides expert television, radio, print media and internet commentary on sports matters. His company is also a provider of former professional athletes to schools and corporations that deliver motivational and inspirational sports theme presentations.

He is affiliated with many organizations and is involved with numerous charities such as The Miami Project to cure paralysis, The United Way, The Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Literacy Council of New Jersey, Habitat for Humanity, The Tomorrow’s Children Fund, MANetc, Inc. and Autism Speaks.

Harry has served as an Advisor to the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and is a member of the Brain Injury Association’s Sports Injury Prevention Council. Former Governor Christine Whitman appointed Mr. Carson as a member of the New Jersey Advisory Council on Traumatic Brain Injury. He has established himself as an authority and internationally recognized speaker on Concussions in Sports. The author of two books, Point of Attack (1985) and Captain for Life (2011) highlight his personal experiences with concussions and other injuries from playing the game of football.

Harry Carson has also been an advocate toward the plight of his National Football League brethren. He used his Hall of Fame induction speech as an opportunity to highlight the problems of pensions and benefits of retired players.

This event is cosponsored by Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics: