May 15 2025
IT-Security Inside 2025 – Keynote Speaker Keren Elazari – Zurich, Germany
AURA , Event Hall
Author & Philadelphia Eagles Alum Kevin Reilly is an inspirational keynote speaker, integrating his 30 years of experience as a corporate executive and his battle with disease as the oldest known surviving desmoid tumor patient.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Find out how to hire Kevin Reilly to appear at your next event. Contact the Mollie Plotkin Group to inquire about Kevin Reilly’s availability and cost. When booking Kevin Reilly for an event, we need to know the type of venue and location the event will take place. Kevin Reilly is a popular choice for corporate events, private events, and virtual events. So, you can click the Check Availability button or contact us and an MPG Kevin Reilly booking agent will get back to you within 48 hours.
How much to book Kevin Reilly depends on the type of event. So, the cost to hire Kevin Reilly for corporate or private events is available by contacting a Mollie Plotkin Group Agent. Notably, Kevin Reilly is available for conferences, festivals, private parties and events. Just contact the Mollie Plotkin Group and tell the booking agent the proposed date, time, and location.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
He is one of the most caring, relatable and selfless individuals that I have ever had the opportunity of meeting. Kevin has a unique way of relating his personal story to every single person in the audience in both an emotional and motivational manner. He took the time with every member of the audience to discuss everything from football to family members who are going through personal heartache. I truly believe that through the grace of God, Kevin Reilly’s mission in life is to deliver his message to the masses.” – Michael Rappucci, Corporate Operations Manager, Mortgage Network Solutions
and how he has been able to give back to those who face seemingly unsurmountable physical challenges that often times change the course of our lives following a cancer diagnosis. I myself am a cancer survivor and hearing stories such as Kevin’s continue to give me hope as I navigate the world in a new way.” – Jason Pfeifer, Architect Planning and Process Manager, TD Bank
His talk appeals to broad audiences- it truly does not matter if you have never watched a football game or ever heard of the Philadelphia Eagles. His messages about overcoming obstacles, being your best self, paying it forward, and finding silver linings even in the worst of situations resonated with our team and will stick with us for a long time. He captivated the audience from the start of his talk- he had us laughing one minute and on the verge of tears the next. But most importantly, he left us feeling inspired to work harder, go the extra mile even on the tough days, and feeling grounded in what truly matters in life. We can’t thank Kevin enough for motivating our team.” – Kim Diamond VP, Communications & Investor Relations, Springworks Therapeutics
What an amazing experience it was for all of us. He had the complete attention of everyone during his presentation and you could have heard a pin drop, everyone was so absorbed in his story. The feeling that everyone left with was a sense of hope and faith that no one should ever forget. At the end of these events, the people usually just get up and leave but, the people were so impressed with his message that, they stood around and talked to each other like they were old friends. The Board of Directors were absolutely thrilled with our choice of Kevin Reilly as our speaker.” – LeonaFrances Woskowiak, Board Member, Holy Family Radio
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