National Football League (NFL) guard, Austin Corbett ‘17, and his wife, Madison (Morell) Corbett ‘17, look at life though a community lens. Austin and Madison, School of Public Health alumni, met as undergraduate students in 2013. Now married with a growing family and successful career, Austin and Madison continue to use their public health education to inspire change and address challenges on and off the field.
Austin and Madison, who were both student-athletes, shared many public health courses and motivated each other to stay focused in the midst of demanding schedules. Austin played as an offensive lineman for the Nevada Wolf Pack football team, while Madison played for the Nevada Wolf Pack volleyball team. They often studied together in the student-athletes study lounge.
“Madison and I both were leaders of our teams, but we never let that get in the way of our academic success,” said Austin. “We pushed each other in our sports but also in the classroom.”
Austin and Madison graduated and married in 2017. Austin was then drafted in 2018 to the Cleveland Browns, which kickstarted a successful NFL career. In 2019, he joined the Los Angeles Rams and, in 2022, helped lead the Rams to a Super Bowl LVI victory. Now, Austin proudly plays for the Carolina Panthers. While the relocation from Reno to Cleveland to Los Angeles to now Charlotte, North Carolina, has resulted in significant change and chaos for the Corbett family, Austin notes that his and Madison’s partnership has helped them navigate family and industry demands.
“Leaning on each other is how we figure it all out,” Austin said. “Our life has constantly been filled with chaos and when you’re able to do it together, it makes everything much easier.”
Austin credits his and Madison's approach to love, life and leadership to their public health education.
“Understanding the ins and outs of public health has made me understand the benefits of taking care of a group,” said Austin. “Principles that are not only applied when dealing with illness in a community, but also are applied to leading any group, organization or team. The collective ‘we’ can always be bettered when you find a common goal to accomplish.”
The School of Public Health Dean, Dr. Muge Akpinar-Elci, is proud to call Austin and Madison alumnus. “A public health education is incredibly dynamic. Our graduates are equipped with the necessary skills to be successful and think critically and holistically in any discipline. Our curriculum works to train leaders in all fields, and I’m thrilled to see that Austin and Madison are such remarkable examples of this.”
Austin takes pride in his public health education, and encourages future public health leaders to value the principles learned and skills gained when pursuing a public health degree.
“Know that wherever you end up in life, public health gives you the opportunity to make real change in your community,” said Austin. “You can apply principles to every walk of life and be the change that so many need.”
