On this special edition of “Listen In With KNN” sports talk radio/podcast show presented by FOX Sports 1340AM/96.9 FM, executive host and producer Kelsey Nicole Nelson welcomed Connie Carberg, the first female NFL scout to the show. Carberg spent her football career in New York working with the Jets.
Growing up in a family of Jet fans with her father, uncle, and two brothers, sports was all Carberg knew. Her father was the team’s internal medicine doctor and she went to practically all the Jets games during her youth. “my father and my uncle became two team doctors for the Jets and I was 12…and then my whole life changed,” said Carberg.
“It became a total passion and obsession,” said Carberg. Jets coaches and players, such as Walt Michaels and Rob Carpenter, would come to Carberg’s house to talk football furthering her knowledge and true love for football.
Carberg spoke about how she’s always loved sports. “It’s really amazing because I played all kinds of sports growing up, whether it was backyard or at school…at that time, there was nothing for women in football at all…,” said Carberg.
Carberg would go on to talk about her junior high school earth science teacher who had multiple interests. He taught her about the game of football. “[He] was also a football coach and he would also come to the Jets games with us, and so he explained so much to me. I would stay after school and I would grade papers for him, but he would also be explaining football to me,” said Carberg.
Carberg vividly spoke about the 1969 Super Bowl Championship the Jets won in her senior year of high school. From there, she would go to Wheaton College and then transfer to Ohio State University. There, she met someone whom she and her dad admired greatly, the great Woody Hayes. When Carberg found the OSU lunch area, she went to speak with Coach Hayes.
After their discussion, Hayes told her, “I don’t want you to give up on your love of sports…what I want you to do is every day that you want, come. Whether it’s open or closed, talk to the scouts, talk to coaches, and learn.” This meeting had a significant impact on the rest of Carberg’s life as it offered her a great opportunity to immediately get involved in football. “Of course, I took him up on that and he was amazing to me,” said Carberg.
Initially, Carberg imagined herself as a teacher and female sports coach but didn’t know the future that was in store for her. She would be invited to work with the Jets beginning as a receptionist and secretary but she eventually worked her way up to becoming a scout, the first woman in that role in the NFL.
She was there when the Jets built their Hofstra University compound in Long Island, NY. “The Jets didn’t hire me because of how many words I could type per minute, they hired me because of my passion and knowledge and love of sports,” said Carberg.
In her role as a scout, Carberg got to help scout talent for the Jets to take a look at. “From there, we had the draft in ‘75 and it was right after the season, it was in January. And it was 17 rounds…we got to the 17th round, and they [Ewbank and Holovack] said ‘Okay, Connie, you’re making the last pick’, and I’m like ‘Woah, okay’ so I did and I was the only female that had made a pick. I chose it from Ohio State,” said Carberg.
From that moment, Carberg would do reel-to-reel reports on players, write reports on players, file scout’s findings, and do more office work. Eventually, she would return to her alma mater Ohio State to find the next best player.
As the first woman to make an NFL Draft selection, Carberg was elated to talk about other women who have made historic moves like herself, such as (former guest of the show) Collette V. Smith, Jennifer King, and many more. “Bruce Arians really started everything when he had Jen Welter come in back in 2015 or 2016, it’s almost like it opened the door…” said Carberg.
Carberg then spoke about her Jets and their current state. “We are rebuilding. With Zach [Wilson] and the offensive line still has to gel and get together…I want the offensive line to protect him at all costs…[the passer] comes first, before anything else,” said Carberg. Since leaving the Jets as a scout, Carberg continues to share her story.
“X’s and O’s Don’t Mean I Love You: The Untold Story of the NFL’s First Female Scout” is Carberg’s book telling of her life and football passion. Nelson asked about the book and how it came to be, “I had no idea that I was going to have a book, and I had a young lady Elizabeth Meinecke contact my website and said she’d like to do it…she had the same philosophy of life that I do…it’s a positive. cool read,” said Carberg.
As a trailblazer, Nelson asked Carberg what she wanted people to remember her as when she was part of the Jets organization. Carberg replied, “I was always greeting all the players and taking care of them all…my thing I think was trying to make everyone feel comfortable and welcome. I’m a big believer in that part and I love the Jets and I love sharing the life that I always had with the Jets more than anything,” said Carberg.
Today, it’s great to see the path that Carberg laid being followed by more women who are working in the NFL. Just recently, the Tennessee Titans hired Mical Johnson, who is the first woman in their scouting core.
Check out the episode below if you’d like to hear more about Carberg and all her football knowledge! And note, use this link to purchase your paperback or Kindle version of the book on Amazon! You can keep up with Carberg on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and her website.
