American football player
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| Position: | Safety | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | (1962-11-29) November 29, 1962 (age 62) Jamaica, New York, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Nanticoke (PA) Fine | ||||||||
| College: | Penn State | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1984 / round: 7 / pick: 176 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Harry Edwin Hamilton (born November 29, 1962) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). Hamilton was the first Black African-American to graduate from John S. Fine High School, Nanticoke, Pennsylvania. He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Early life
His father Stan Hamilton was a civil rights activist in New York in the 1960s and a writer of Sesame Street. In 1972, the family moved to a horse farm owned by Stan Hamilton and his father-in-law, after a flood damaged their house in Wilkes-Barre. They were the only black people in the area and Hamilton suffered abuse at school, being called racial slurs and seeing a burning cross on a bonfire during a football pep rally. He set several track records at school and proved to be an adept Western-style horse rider and football player. After graduating, the family moved back to Wilkes-Barre.
Football career
Having graduated with honors, he was recruited by a number of colleges for his excellence in academics and athletics before selecting Penn State. During his collegiate career, he was an Academic All-American safety at Penn State University following the 1982 National Championship season and 1983 seasons. After which, he played eight seasons as a safety in the National Football League with the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before retiring in 1993.
Post-football career
During his professional football career, Hamilton attended law school and immediately put his Juris Doctor degree to work for legal services in Tampa, Florida before embarking on a career in the United States Army Judge Advocate General's Corps.
In March 2018, Hamilton was charged with a number of offenses including burglary, criminal trespassing, a misdemeanor count of simple assault and two summary offenses of harassment after he confronted his son about drug abuse. He was also accused of forcing his way into his ex-wife's home and assaulting his son. Hamilton was arraigned and released on $25,000 unsecured bail.
References
- ^ Donovan, Dan (September 21, 1983). "Hamilton fits mold of hero". The Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
- ^ Pallotto, Bret. "Local football legend Harry Hamilton accused of attacking his son". Wilkes-Barre Citizens' Voice. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
- Beauge, John (June 26, 2018). "Ex-Nittany Lion's charges to remain in Centre County". pennlive. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
- Sokolski, Paul (March 31, 2018). "Ex-Penn State star Hamilton accused of assaulting son, blasts authorities". Times Leader. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
| New York Jets 1984 NFL draft selections | |
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