Kevin Reilly

Kevin Reilly is an inspirational keynote speaker, author, and former NFL linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles. Kevin is also the oldest known surviving desmoid tumor patient in the world. The surgery which saved his life, also led to the loss of his left arm, left shoulder and top four left ribs.  Life saving surgery may have ended his professional football career but Kevin refused to let the disease define his life. Today, he shares his remarkable story of how faith, family and fortitude kept this linebacker in the game. With over 30 years experience as a corporate executive, a career in the NFL, an amputee, and author, Kevin Reilly has a unique ability to inspire audiences in both their personal and professional lives.

Kevin Reilly is available to be booked for corporate and private events. He is also well-known for his keynote and motivational speaking. Contact the Mollie Plotkin Group today to inquire about Kevin Reilly’s fees.

Jersey Man Magazine

Kevin is also a column contributor for Jersey Man Magazine, often writing about his life, the lessons he’s learned, and the challenges he’s faced.

Want to book Kevin Reilly for an event?

Contact the Mollie Plotkin Group at 215-995-0905 to book Kevin Reilly for corporate or private events, keynote speeches, workshops, fireside chats, motivational speaking, or virtual appearances. Our agency will work directly with your organization and our keynote speakers to create an unforgettable event.

The Mollie Plotkin Group is the leading keynote speakers agency and entertainment bureau bringing excitement to audiences, clients, and employees. We represent subject-matter experts in every possible field, so whether we’re your partner in creating a memorable meeting, or your meeting planner’s secret weapon in securing the perfect keynote speaker, we’re in this with you.

Philadelphia Eagles Special Teams Captain

Kevin was drafted in the seventh round of the NFL draft by legendary coach Don Shula of the Super Bowl Champions, the Miami Dolphins. After being the last cut in training camp, Kevin was picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles, his hometown team. Where he quickly became a fan-favorite and special teams captain.

Kevin’s battle with cancer began as he was playing for the New England Patriots. Just three years into his NFL career, Kevin was told that a Desmoid tumor would lead to the loss of his left arm, his left shoulder, and four of his ribs on his left side.

Hire Kevin Reilly

While Kevin’s cancer diagnosis ended his NFL career, his spirit did not fade with it. He accepted his hardship as a blessing in disguise, an opportunity to spread awareness, progressing research into this exceedingly rare disease known as desmoid tumor. As a professional keynote speaker, he now motivates others to overcome any obstacle that blocks their path to success.

Over the three decades following his diagnosis, Kevin has spoken at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, The New York Yankees, BlackRock, Merrill Lynch, colleges & universities around the country and many more organizations, spreading his positive attitude and mindset. In addition, he’s a sought-after speaker for Catholic groups, candidly discussing his religious upbringing and its empowering impact on his recovery.

Kevin provides a unique perspective on success. Having played in the NFL, Kevin understands the importance of hard work and dedication. Subsequently, Kevin’s battle with cancer instilled lessons of perseverance that can resonate with anybody looking to push through a difficult setback. Reach out to us today to hire Kevin Reilly for your next event!

These are just a few of the organizations where Kevin Reilly has shared his story:

• Honda
• Comcast
• The New York Yankees
• Bank of America
• Merrill Lynch
• Dover Airforce Base
• SAP and SAP NS2
• American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
• Villanova University
• Wilmington University
• Faith & Ale
• and more

To hire Kevin Reilly for an event, contact the Mollie Plotkin Group with the proposed event date, location, audience size, event format and program goals. Kevin Reilly is available for corporate events, conferences, leadership meetings, private events, workshops, fireside chats and virtual programs.

After receiving your request, a Mollie Plotkin Group booking agent will review Kevin Reilly’s availability, discuss the event details and get back to you within 48 hours with next steps for securing Kevin Reilly for your program.

The cost to book Kevin Reilly depends on the event date, location, format, audience size and scope of the appearance. Kevin Reilly’s speaking fee ranges from $15,000 to $20,000. Speaking fees may vary for keynote speeches, workshops, fireside chats, private events, corporate meetings and virtual programs.

For the most accurate Kevin Reilly booking fee, contact the Mollie Plotkin Group with your event details. Our team will help confirm availability, pricing and the best format for your event.

Tackling Life: Resilience vs. Perseverance

Drawn from Kevin Reilly’s Tackling Life, this keynote explores resilience versus perseverance and what it takes to maintain growth and customer satisfaction. Exploring his time as captain of the Villanova football team and experience with the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, and New England Patriots, Kevin discusses the differences between physical and mental strength, and the importance of support systems.

He emphasizes that perseverance is a gut check, while resilience is bouncing back from a knockout. He also addresses the conditions that cause customer dissatisfaction: comfort and complacency, noting that a dissatisfied customer tells 12 people about their visit.

Key Takeaways:

• Driving tremendous business growth
• Improving customer satisfaction
• Create consistency across your organization

Unbreakable: A Practical Approach to Personal Resilience for Life & Work

In this emotionally charged and profoundly human presentation, former NFL linebacker and inspirational speaker Kevin Reilly shares the lessons he learned about perseverance from a journey that tested every fiber of his mental, physical, and spiritual strength. Drawing on deeply personal stories—experiences that only faith and sheer willpower carried him through—Kevin creates a space for reflection, empathy, and transformation.

The impact is immediate. Attendees don’t just listen—they engage. Kevin’s authenticity inspires genuine discussion, and post-keynote Q&As become open dialogues, with audiences asking fundamental questions about their lives, challenges, and mental well-being. As both a psychology major from Villanova and a certified peer visitor through Walter Reed Hospital, Kevin bridges lived experience and emotional intelligence to offer audiences tools they can use the very next day.

Kevin’s sessions don’t stop at perseverance. He can also tailor his keynotes to focus on practical, work-relevant challenges such as time management, building mental resilience, overcoming workplace adversity, and strengthening team cohesion through shared vulnerability.

Key Takeaways:

• How perseverance, not perfection, leads to personal transformation.
• Tools for supporting mental well-being in the workplace.
• How to respond—not retreat—when life changes without warning.
• Why resilience is a daily decision, not a one-time triumph.

Leadership by Example: Creating an Unstoppable Team

Do you feel like your team isn’t making the cut?

Through over 30 years as a corporate executive, Kevin Reilly has learned that people don’t care about how much someone knows until they know how much that person cares. This means that investing in people is essential.

He is often surprised by how many individuals lack time management and cooperation skills. As he sees it, the only thing worse than training employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay.

Setting Goals in Life After Tragedy – Dealing With Disability

Has anyone ever told you that your dreams were impossible?

Kevin Reilly’s keynote, Setting Goals in Life After Tragedy – Dealing With Disability, explores themes of motivation and overcoming adversity. Reilly shares his experiences and insights following the life-altering surgery that ended his NFL career.

This presentation is great for corporate motivational settings, as Kevin shares the core concepts and strategies that helped him preserve after tremendous tragedy.

Faith-Based Programming – Topics

My Catholic Faith and Our Community Under God

Kevin Reilly candidly shares his journey through the ups and downs of his life, emphasizing how his 16 years of Catholic education and unwavering faith in God helped him navigate those challenges.

Learning Patience & Meditation with the Trinity

Throughout his life, Kevin Reilly’s Catholic faith has given him the strength to overcome adversity. Beyond providing resilience, his faith has also taught him the power of patience and how to maintain a clear mind through meditation and spiritual reflection.

Facing Death and the Unknown

Before undergoing amputation, Kevin Reilly had to sign a waiver acknowledging the risks of the procedure. It was in that moment that the gravity of his decision truly set in—there was a real, albeit small, chance that he might not survive. Faced with this reality, he placed his faith entirely in his family, his doctors, and, most importantly, in God.