Matt Marcus of HealthBridge Chiropractic and co-host Joe Dougherty are joined by special guests, former Philadelphia Eagles DE Connor Barwin and Attorney Clancy Boylan of Morgan & Morgan as they discuss how to reach the highest level.
Connor Barwin is the Founder and Board President of the Make The World Better Foundation. He retired after a successful ten year career in 2019 and now serves as Special Assistant to the General Manager for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in ’09 in the second round and played for them for four years. He then went to Philadelphia, playing for the Eagles for four years. In 2017, Connor was a member of the Los Angeles Rams and in 2018, went on to play for the New York Giants.
In 2013, during his first year with the Eagles, Connor founded, with assistance from his mom and inspiration from his bike rides to practice at the Novacare Complex, Make The World Better Foundation. His goal was the revitalizing of playgrounds around Philadelphia. Connor believes everyone should have a safe place to play and gather. He works closely with MTWB staff, community groups, city agencies, other nonprofits, and the business community to plan and implement each project.
Connor and Margaret met Jeffrey Tubbs founder of Urban Roots who shared a very similar outlook. After working together for four years the two nonprofits merged in 2018. They have worked on Ralph Brooks Park, Smith Playground, Waterloo Playground, and Vare Recreation Center. They have partnered with such organizations as Tiny WPA and Philadelphia Photo Arts Center enabling MTWB to offer an eclectic mix of arts and skill-building programming in the communities they work in.
Connor graduated from the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy in 2005, receiving an athletic scholarship to the University of Cincinnati where he played football and basketball. In 2007 Connor was awarded the Oscar Robertson Award in basketball, which recognizes dedication and commitment as well as on-court accomplishments. In 2008 Connor was named UC football MVP, helping the Bearcat team to its first Big East Championship and first BCS Orange Bowl. While in Philadelphia, Connor was twice selected as the Eagles’ Walter Payton Man of the Year candidate in recognition of his community service efforts.
Connor’s philanthropic efforts began in 2011 when he traveled to Nigeria with the Amobi Okoye Foundation on a humanitarian mission to bring medical supplies, textbooks, and American footballs to Nigerian youth. Connor travelled to Haiti on multiple occasions with NRG Energy to install solar panels on orphanages, schools, and hospitals. In 2018, Connor climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with the Eagles’ Chris Long as a part of a group of players helping former NFL long snapper and Army Green Beret, Nate Boyer in the climb to raise awareness for water scarcity. In 2020, he was honored as Humanitarian of the Year by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association.
Connor is an avid concert-goer and music aficionado and after connecting with Sean Agnew of R5 Productions, decided to throw MTWB’s first Annual Benefit Concert featuring Kurt Vile in 2014 at Union Transfer. We hope the next concert will again be held at the Dell Music Center in East Fairmount Park with the continued help of Union Transfer.
Connor and his wife Laura, both Detroit natives, reside in Philadelphia with their son West David and are expecting a daughter in May.
Clancy Boylan is the managing attorney of the Philadelphia Office where he represents individuals and families that have been catastrophically injured or killed in trucking or automobile collisions, construction accidents, premises liability accidents and medical malpractice. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia in 2005, his MBA from Wilkes University in 2008 and graduated with his Juris Doctorate from Duquesne University School of Law in 2012.
Mr. Boylan has been selected as a Rising Star by Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Magazine every year since 2016. Just 2.5 percent of lawyers under the age of 40 receive this honor. In just two years at Morgan & Morgan, Mr. Boylan has already obtained a $3,000,000 settlement for a client injured in a motorcycle collision, a $1,008,137 settlement for a husband and wife injured in a trucking collision and a $825,000 settlement for a client injured in a trip and fall. Prior to joining Morgan & Morgan, Mr. Boylan worked for a boutique Personal Injury firm based out of Northeastern Pennsylvania. After just two years, his firm sent him to Philadelphia to open up a new office. While at his prior firm, Mr. Boylan was co-counsel on $1,725,000 and $1,100,000 trucking collision settlements and lead counsel on the following trucking settlements: $500,000; $375,000; $350,000 and $225,000.
Mr. Boylan has had multiple other six figure settlements and obtained millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for his clients over the course of his career. He also helped hundreds of Pennsylvania families across the state whose use and enjoyment of their property was significantly impacted by the Oil & Gas Industry or had been injured by pipeline explosions.
While in law school, Mr. Boylan was a member of Duquesne’s nationally recognized Trial Advocacy Program. In 2011, he won the American Association for Justice (AAJ) Mock Trial National Championship in Las Vegas and in 2012 he was selected as one of the top 16 trial advocates in the country.
Mr. Boylan prides himself on going the extra mile for his clients. His mantra, which hangs above his desk so all his clients can see, is simple: “Good things come to those who hustle.” Mr. Boylan has spent every day of his legal career fighting and hustling for the people, not the powerful.
Outside of the courtroom, Mr. Boylan is heavily invested in his family and his community. He resides in Center City with his wife Abby and their two children, Bridie and Cillian. Mr. Boylan is an active member of the Jameer Nelson Foundation; Right Turn Youth Academy; The Boylan Foundation and has presented on the dangers of drinking and driving to many local high schools.