Harry Carson

Harry Carson transitioned from a dominant NFL linebacker to a respected motivational speaker and advocate for player health. After becoming the first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference player to achieve consecutive Defensive Player of the Year honors, Harry Carson led the South Carolina State University Bulldogs to two conference championships across four seasons (1972-1975), never missing a game. A standout collegiate defensive end, Carson earned first-team AFCA College-Division All-America selection in 1975, setting school records with 117 tackles and 17 sacks. His formidable college career was recognized with inductions into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2012.

Beyond his illustrious playing career, Carson has become a respected motivational speaker and entrepreneur, operating Harry Carson Inc., a sports consulting and promotions company. He is also a prominent advocate for player health, particularly regarding the long-term effects of concussions, insights he documented in his two books, ‘Point of Attack: The Defense Strikes Back’ (1987) and ‘Captain for Life’ (2011). His continued influence was recognized with an induction into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2018. In 2015, he delivered commencement addresses for the New York University School of Professional Studies and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University.