CASSELBERRY, Fla. – One glimpse into Connie Carberg’s home in Casselberry, and it’s obvious: She loves the New York Jets.
“I just never get enough football,” Carberg said.
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But Carberg is not your average fan. She is a part of Jets history and a trailblazer for women in football. A book titled “X’s and O’s Don’t Mean ‘I Love You’” by Elisabeth Meinecke was written about Carberg’s journey to become the NFL’s first female scout 45 years ago.
In the late 1970s, fresh out of Ohio State University, Carberg worked for the New York Jets as a receptionist. But the men in charge of the team saw an untapped talent.
“They just saw my passion and how involved I was,” Carberg said. “In the draft room, I’m the one that was calling the names into New York as to who they’ve drafted.”
When Carberg was asked about becoming a scout, she didn’t hesitate at the opportunity.
“I said, ‘Great!’ I didn’t think it was a big deal. This is the only thing that I felt comfortable and confident in,” Carberg said.
She helped make the final pick for the Jets in the 1975 NFL draft. From 1976 to 1980, she scouted football talent for her beloved NFL team. She traveled to see the top prospects and diamonds in the rough, and even discovered five-time Pro Bowl and three-time AP All-Pro player Mark Gastineau.
But Carberg never thought about making history.
“Maybe ignorance is bliss, but I didn’t think it was a big deal. That’s where my comfort zone was. When I would talk to coaches or talk to scouts... even when I met my husband, he would just really enjoy watching me talk to people. He said it was so natural,” she said.
Carberg’s full-time scouting days are behind her. But she is still involved in football and with the Jets. As Carberg said, she’ll never get enough of her favorite sport.
“It means everything,” Carberg said, when asked about what it means to be a part of Jets history. “It’s been my whole life.”