Allegheny College Athletics

John Carman '57 earned a total of 11 letters during his career at Allegheny, participating in football, baseball, and track and field.

At the age of six, he suffered debilitating leg injuries sustained in a fire that required multiple skin grafts.  He persevered to become a multi-sport standout at Hampton High School north of Pittsburgh, before matriculating to Allegheny, where he made his mark as a punishing two-way player on the football field.  Named a co-captain by head coach Red Moore for the 1956 season, Carman went on to earn Associated Press Little All-America honors at two different positions.  On offense, he played guard and paved the way for fellow All-American Jim Villa, who graduated as the program's all-time leader in rushing yards and touchdowns before embarking on a professional career. On defense, Carman played both safety and corner back, while also returning kicks and punts.  In addition to his prowess on the gridiron, he earned multiple letters as a pitcher on the baseball team, and participating in the high jump and javelin on the track and field team, often participating in both sports on the same day.  He was voted the Allegheny College Athlete of the Year for 1956-57.
 
After graduating from Allegheny, Carman went on to earn a Ph.D. in Geology from Penn State University, going on to serve as a professor in the Geology Department at the University of Iowa. He also carried out research at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and the Geophysical Laboratory in Washington, D.C.  He passed away on Dec. 8, 2016 in St. Cloud, Florida.