News - October 7th, 2004

FRITZ POLLARD ALLIANCE NAMES
HARRY CARSON NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

WASHINGTON, DC- The Fritz Pollard Alliance proudly announces former NFL great Harry Carson as their new Executive Director. A Florence, South Carolina native, Carson is taking over from outgoing Executive Director Kellen Winslow, Sr. Mr. Carson accepted the position on the second anniversary of the release of the groundbreaking study that was the catalyst that formed the basis of the NFL's Diversity Committee. The Fritz Pollard Alliance, formed in the spring of 2003, is the only affinity group in major league sports for minority coaches, scouting, and front office personnel.

The Chairman of the Alliance, John Wooten, said with respect to the Carson appointment: "Harry Carson will be a strong and decisive leader with a strong commitment to the goals of the Fritz Pollard Alliance."

Harry Carson said with respect to accepting the appointment: "I am excited to become actively involved in helping the Fritz Pollard Alliance further its mission of creating greater diversity of non-football player positions within the National Football League. Many of the individuals I played with as a former member of the New York Football Giants or against in the NFL have worked hard and paid their dues to get into coaching, scouting or front office positions in the League. I'm anxious to help ensure that strong minority candidates competing for similar positions in the NFL are able to do so on a level playing field."

About Harry Carson

Harry Carson's 13-year stint with the New York Giants is one of the longest tenures in its history. The former linebacker served as Team Captain for 10 of his 13 years. Among Mr. Carson's many accomplishments during his distinguished career, he was named to the All-Rookie Team after his first NFL season by Pro Football Weekly. He would later be named to the All NFL Team 7 times, the All NFC Team 8 times and NFC Linebacker of the Year twice. The Green Bay Packers would hardly forget his incredible 25-tackle performance during a 1982 Monday Night Football game. Such a performance led to his selection by his peers to play in the NFC-AFC Pro Bowl 9 times and is among the top 300 players to ever play in the National Football League.

Mr. Carson retired after the 1988 season and began a career in Sports Broadcasting. He has co-hosted CNN's NFL Preview, appeared on WCBS as a Broadcast Analyst and Special Correspondent for playoff and Super Bowl on ABC-TV's Good Morning America. He has also worked as an analyst with ABC Sports College Football as well as New York's Madison Square Garden Network. He is currently a member of the New York Giants' broadcasting team and is a regular season co-host for "Giants GamePlan", a weekly pre-game show.

Carson is CEO and President of Harry Carson, Inc., a Sports Consulting and Promotions Company. His company consults with media outlets, educational sources, athletic teams and corporations on sports as well as non-sports related issues.

Mr. Carson's accomplishments are not limited to football and broadcasting. He has written an autobiography entitled "Point of Attack" and is in the process of writing a post football related book due to be published in 2005. He has served as a guest analyst and contributor with Court TV and he also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the United Way of New York City.

In summary, Mr. Carson's career in the NFL has lead him to become one of the league's top motivational speakers to groups that range from juveniles, prison inmates to school scholars, college athletes, corporate executives and political leaders. If this is not enough, in his spare time Mr. Carson enjoys mentoring current and former players on life after the game, playing golf, bass fishing, auto racing and target shooting. But, his greatest passion is of making a difference in other's lives.

About The Fritz Pollard Alliance

Building on the September 2002 Report, Black Coaches in the NFL: Superior Performance, Inferior Opportunities, the FPA advocates for policy changes leveling the playing field in the NFL. During the last two hiring cycles, the number of African American head coaches has risen from two to a record five. There are also a record number of minority coordinators, front office executives, and player personnel directors. The FPA continues to work on developing opportunities for minority personnel throughout the NFL.