The Newnan Carnegie Library Foundation is proud to present the return of the Edgar B. Hollis Distinguished Author Series! Our first author of 2024 will be former NFL player, Frank D. Murphy who will discuss his life story and his book, The Man Behind the Helmet: A Story of Second Chances. Book signing to follow. Registration is requested on Eventbrite.
Frank D. Murphy is a formerly incarcerated youth and NFL player who founded Mentoring With Purpose Charity to pour into at-risk youth and athletes—especially those who have been deemed too far gone and unreachable.Frank’s life story, as told in his book, The Man Behind the Helmet: A Story of Second Chances forwarded by Superbowl Winning Coach Tony Dungy journeys from childhood to adulthood as Frank overcame the struggles of growing up in an economically disadvantaged inner-city neighborhood. From running the streets with guns to selling drugs to jail. Frank has made every mistake a young person could, stacking the odds against himself as he faced the reality of spending life behind bars. After being given a second chance through NFL coach, Tony Dungy, Frank instantly pivots from a self-destructive path to a star athlete, successful NFL player, and upstanding role model. While in the NFL, Frank witnessed the need for character development and mentorship for youth and athletes, leading him to build a digital life skills curriculum program. Concluding a successful football career receiving countless awards such as:
◦ NJCAA All-American
◦ Jr. College Heisman Trophy
• Jr. College Hall Of Fame Inducted
◦ JTEP Hero
◦ NHL Tampa Bay Lighting Community Hero Award
◦ Key to the City of Callahan, FL
◦ 2017 President Barack Obama’s Lifetime Achievement
◦ 2022 Joe Biden / Kamala Harris Lifetime Achievement
◦ Most Valuable Philanthropist in Sports
◦ Honorary Doctorate Degree in Humanitarianism
Today, Frank is a National motivational speaker, a life coach, and a mentor to over 100,000 youth, churches, detention centers, Fortune 500 companies, and professional athletes.Frank also leads the way in adopting community centers, jails, detention centers, and prisons around the nation to empower future leaders with his programs.Since 2001, Frank has provided hope, empowerment, life skills, and NFL camps to his and other communities to break the cycle of poverty and violence.
The Edgar B. Hollis Distinguished Authors Series began at the Carnegie in 2012. A native of Newnan, Georgia, Edgar Baldwin Hollis left a generous bequest to benefit Newnan’s citizens in the hopes that many lives in the hometown he loved so much would be touched by his gift. Mr. Hollis grew up in Newnan, graduated from Newnan High School and received a bachelor’s degree in History and a master of Humanities from Emory University. He spent most of his professional career in Washington, D.C., working for the National Security Agency's Inter-Library Loan Division but would often return to his family home in the historic downtown area of the city. The Newnan Carnegie Library Foundation is honored to be selected to commemorate his legacy through an annual series of distinguished lectures to be held each year at the Carnegie Auditorium a place he would have been so familiar with during his life. Edgar B. Hollis passed away at his home in Newnan on June 17, 2006.
We are proud to bring these notable authors to Newnan and Coweta County.
