Harry Carson
A four-year starter at South Carolina State, Harry Carson was a two-time Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference MVP. Originally a defensive end in college, he racked up an impressive 114 tackles and 30 sacks in his senior year, leading the New York Giants to select him in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. Transitioning to middle linebacker as a rookie, Carson quickly made his mark—earning a starting role by midseason and being named to the NFL All-Rookie Team.
Carson became the Giants’ leading tackler five times and was widely regarded as one of the premier run-stoppers of his era. Over his 13-year career, he was credited with 856 total tackles (627 solo), including a standout 185-tackle season in 1979. In a memorable Monday Night Football game against Green Bay in 1982, he recorded an impressive 20 solo tackles.
A nine-time Pro Bowler, Carson was a cornerstone of the legendary “Crunch Bunch” linebacker unit alongside Lawrence Taylor, Brad Van Pelt, and Brian Kelley, —one of the most dominant defensive groups in NFL history. He helped lead the Giants to a Super Bowl championship in 1986, finishing second on the team with 118 tackles that season. In recognition of his remarkable career, Harry Carson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
Image Gallery of Harry Carson, Linebacker 1976-1988
Harry Carson Football Cards
Harry Carson All Time Career Statistics
| Season | Age | Team | # | Pos | Games | Starts | Int | Yards | Long | FR | FRTD | Sacks | Sfty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 23 | NYG | 53 | MLB | 12 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2.0 | 0 |
| 1977 | 24 | NYG | 53 | MLB | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2.0 | 0 |
| 1978* | 25 | NYG | 53 | MLB | 16 | 16 | 3 | 86 | 42 | 1 | 0 | 2.0 | 0 |
| 1979* | 26 | NYG | 53 | RILB | 16 | 15 | 3 | 28 | 14 | 3 | 1♦ | 1.0 | 0 |
| 1980 | 27 | NYG | 53 | RILB | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 1981* | 28 | NYG | 53 | RILB | 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4.0 | 0 |
| 1982* | 29 | NYG | 53 | RILB | 9 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 0 |
| 1983* | 30 | NYG | 53 | RILB | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 1984* | 31 | NYG | 53 | RILB | 16 | 16 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 1985* | 32 | NYG | 53 | RILB | 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 1986* | 33 | NYG♚ | 53 | RILB | 16 | 16 | 1 | 20 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 2.0 | 0 |
| 1987* | 34 | NYG | 53 | RILB | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 1988 | 35 | NYG | 53 | RILB | 12 | 11 | 2 | 66 | 66 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 13 Year NFL Career with Giants | 173 | 166 | 11 | 212 | 66 | 14 | 1 | 19.0 | 0 | ||||
| Season | Age | Team | G | Int | Yds | IntTD | Lng | FR | FRTD | Sk | Sfty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981* | 28 | NYG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 1984* | 31 | NYG | 2 | 1 | 14 | 1♦ | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 1985* | 32 | NYG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 1986* | 33 | NYG♚ | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Post Season Totals | 9 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
- * – NFL Pro Bowl Selection
- ♦ – Led the NFL
- ♚ – NFL Champion
