Harry Hamilton

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.^[1] 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.^[1]

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.^[1] After which, he played eight seasons as a safety in the National Football League with the New York Jets^[2] and Tampa Bay Buccaneers^[3] 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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[4] Hamilton was arraigned and released on $25,000 unsecured bail.^[2]

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