First Female NFL Scout Connie Carberg to be Awarded at the 2022 Hula Bowl

Connie Carberg is well-known in the NFL scouting community because she is a pioneer in the industry. Carberg served in a scouting role for the New York Jets from 1976-1980, breaking a gender barrier in the NFL by opening the door for females in the NFL.

Carberg, a Florida resident, will be presented with an Award at the 76th Annual Hula Bowl at UCF’s Bounce House on January 15, 2021. Hula Bowl’s Director of Scouting Damond Talbot is excited to honor Carberg during the coin flip!

The Hula Bowl is honored to have Connie and her family present for the 76th Annual Hula Bowl. Connie is a pioneer in the NFL, and should be talked about more in the scouting community. She has been a huge asset to women in sports, and should be honored for her hard work. She was a key piece to finding one of the Jets most iconic football players ever in Mark Gastineau. Connie has a keen eye for talent, and it is awesome to have her in Orlando to present her with an award in front of her family!

In 1976, Jets General Manager Al Ward hired Connie as a full-time scout, becoming the first female scout in the NFL. Many in the Jets Front Office called her “The Girl Scout”, and she did not let them down when it comes to finding talent.

Carberg helped the Jets evaluate Mark Gastineau before the 1979 NFL Draft. The team was coaching in the Senior Bowl and needed another defensive lineman on the roster due to an vacancy, so Carberg called several prospects before suggesting Gastineau to be the replacement based on a phone conversation with him. He was projected to be an eighth round draft pick at the time, but due to his performance in the Senior Bowl and other pre-draft processes, the Jets selected him in the second round and he became the NFL’s all-time sack leader. She was also credited with helping the Jets in their selection of two-time Pro Bowl selection Wesley Walker, who was blind in one eye, in the second round of the 1977 NFL Draft.

The Hula Bowl was established in 1946 as the Hula Bowl All-Star Football Classic game. The top 100 college football players are selected from all across the United States, as well as Australia, Japan, Canada and Polynesia. Football players are given a great opportunity to perform and impress all 32 NFL Scouts and Player Personnel with their abilities.

The Hula Bowl All-Star game remains one of the longest-running college football all-star games in History.  Over the past 76 years, the Hula Bowl has hosted Heisman Trophy winners, and many legendary players including Deion Sanders, Vince Ferragamo, Eric Dickerson, Drew Brees, Tony Dorsett, Dan Marino, Jesse Sapolu, Samoa Samoa, Billy Sims, Ricky Williams and more.  Following the 2021 game, the Hula Bowl had over 50 players that were either drafted or became free agents signed by NFL Teams in pursuing their professional football careers.

The Hula Bowl football game has historically been featured in January each year on the island of Oahu but will be hosted in Orlando, Florida for 2022. To learn more, please visit https://www.hulabowl.com/.