Former Penn State football and NFL player Harry Hamilton is facing felony and misdemeanor charges after an alleged altercation with his son and another person in early March.
Hamilton, 55, was a defensive back for Penn State from 1981 to 1983 and was twice named an Academic All-American. He played for eight seasons in the NFL with the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
According to a criminal complaint, State College Police responded to a domestic dispute at about 11:30 p.m. on March 3 at a Southgate Drive residence. Hamilton’s son told police that he could hear loud banging noises coming from the front door and when he came downstairs saw Hamilton standing inside the house.
Police said Hamilton accused his son of using drugs then put him in a headlock. Hamilton allegedly banged the son’s head off of the stairs then punched him several times in the head and neck before throwing him to the ground. The son reportedly had bruises on his neck and scratches on his forearms.
A second person came downstairs and got in between Hamilton and the son, according to the complaint. Police said that after Hamilton and the second person went outside, they began to argue and Hamilton allegedly picked him up and threw him to the ground, causing cuts and scratches to his elbow.
Hamilton then re-entered the house, exited through the back door and left the area on foot, according to the complaint.
Police said that further investigation determined the front door had been locked and the lock and door frame were damaged when Hamilton entered. A picture frame also was damaged during the altercation and the rear screen door was damaged when Hamilton left the residence.
Hamilton was charged with felony counts of burglary and criminal trespass, a misdemeanor count of simple assault and two summary offenses of harassment. He was arraigned before District Judge Thomas Jordan and released on $25,000 unsecured bail.
A preliminary hearing originally scheduled for Wednesday was continued to next week.
Hamilton, an attorney, made headlines in 2014 when he opted out of a settlement of a class-action lawsuit with the NFL over concussions and filed his own $5 million lawsuit against the league. The most recent action in that case was in May 2017, according to federal court records.