George Starke

George Lawrence Starke (born July 18, 1948) is an American business owner, activist, broadcaster and former professional

Starke's professional football career lasted 13 years and, at the time of his retirement, Starke had been captain of the Redskins for five years. He was named one of the 70 greatest players in Redskins history.[1]

The 6'5", 255-pound Starke was known by many as the "Head Hog" of "

In 1997, Starke founded the "Excel Institute" in Washington, D.C., a not-for profit adult education vocational training school for at risk individuals above the age of 16. After graduating over 500 students trained as auto technicians, Starke retired from the Institute on October 1, 2010.

Starke's other endeavors include "Head Hog BBQ" restaurants in Bethesda, Maryland and Rockville, Maryland named after the famous Washington Redskins offensive line of which he was the senior member.

Following his retirement from the institute, Starke started Starke Communications, a communications firm that provides communications, public relations and marketing services to corporate clients.

Early years

Starke grew up in New Rochelle, New York and attended public schools there. His father, George Starke Sr., was a high school principal in Yonkers, New York and his mother, Shirley Starke, was a registered nurse. He has Mohawk ancestry on his mother's side.^[3]

Upon graduation from New Rochelle High School, Starke received a series of football awards, including All-Westchester County, All-Metropolitan, All-State and All-American. He was inducted into the New Rochelle and Westchester County Halls of Fame.

College career

Starke decided to attend

One last attempt to sidetrack Starke's Columbia decision was made by the University of Virginia, which offered him the opportunity to not only attend their school on full scholarship, but also be the person to desegregate their college. Starke declined this offer.

While at

In spite of being drafted by the Redskins, Starke's pro football career had a rough start. Two weeks into Redskins training camp in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Starke was cut by the Redskins and went to Kansas City, Missouri to try out for the Kansas City Chiefs. After spending the remainder of the training camp with the Chiefs and being told he would make the squad, Starke was the last player cut by head coach Hank Stram just before the season began. In July 1972, Starke journeyed to Thousand Oaks, California to try out for the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys trained in the hills 40 miles north of Los Angeles to escape the heat of suburban Dallas, Texas. After six weeks of training camp with the Cowboys, Starke was cut but then the Redskins asked him to return and try again.

One year later and one year wiser, Starke made the Redskins roster. Placed originally on the

Starke's first Super Bowl was with the "Over the Hill Gang" in 1972. Later with the "Hogs", Starke returned for Super Bowl XVII and Super Bowl XVIII after the 1982 NFL season and 1983 NFL season winning the first against the Miami Dolphins and losing the second against the Oakland Raiders. Starke's last full football season was 1984. He retired during training camp in 1985.

Life with the Hogs

Prior to retiring during the years 1983 and 1984, Starke capitalized on the notoriety of the "Hogs" by bringing them together getting each of them to invest $500.00 and forming a corporation called "Super Hogs." "Super Hogs" became the first professional athletes of any sport to market themselves outside of the National Football League oversight. "Super Hogs" created a clothing line, beer company, sold various "Hogs" themes merchandise and produced the two most successful football posters of all times: (1) Hogs Night Out and (2) The Grave Yard Dogs.

Life after the Skins

After retiring from the

In 1996, being alarmed by the spike in youth violence in the District of Columbia and determining that violence was primarily a job issue, that involved a large number of youth who were illiterate and therefore unemployable, rather than a crime issue, Starke founded a not-for profit job training facility he named the Excel Institute. The institute was designed as a two-year adult education program for at risk youth above the age of 16 that provides basic education, life skills counseling and autotech vocational training. Two basic tenets of the Institute were that (1) anyone above the age of sixteen who wanted to attend was admitted and (2) all students were on full scholarship - i.e., nobody had to pay. In October 2010, after graduating over 500 students, Starke retired from management and the Board of the Excel Institute.

After retirement from the institute, Starke founded Starke Communications, a communications firm that provides communications, public relations and marketing services to corporate clients. Starke Communications also provides motivational speakers for its clients.

Personal

George Starke lives with his wife Petra Smeltzer Starke in Beverly Hills, California. Petra Starke, who grew up in Prague as Czech national, graduated from Georgetown University Law Center cum laude and used to practice law in Washington, D.C., including in the Obama White House. She founded a chain of yoga studios.^[4] They share their residence with son, George Lawrence Starke, IV and the family dog, Coconut.^{[citation needed]}

References

External links

• https://web.archive.org/web/20060103154427/http://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/feb00/feb00_feature_starke.html - A 2000
  Columbia College
  article about Starke.
• https://web.archive.org/web/20060324100207/http://www.redskins.com/team/bios/starke_george.htm - Redskins.com biography of Starke.
• http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A44371-2004Jun15?language=printer
• http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A45442-2004Jul12?language=printer
• http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39776-2004Jul9.html