From Tragedy, Brandon Short Is Building a Better Tomorrow

The former Penn State and NFL linebacker lost his daughter to gun violence. Now, he’s supporting those affected by it.

Karli Short was courageous and inspiring, her father Brandon said, the kind of person who passionately sought to make other lives better. And she was a soon-to-be mother who had planned a gender reveal party themed to Harry Potter.

Karli Short and her unborn son died last year, victims of gun violence in the town Brandon Short, the former Penn State and NFL linebacker, said is too familiar with it. Beneath the grief of losing his daughter and first grandson, Brandon Short found a need to remember Karli while helping victims of gun violence in McKeesport, Pa.

Karli Short was 26. Brandon Short wants her memory to fuel and inspire others.

“Losing Karli was devastating and still is, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be the same,” Short said. “However, I’m a big believer in God and religion and that everything happens for a reason. When I thought about it, as I’m grieving, I couldn’t think of a better to honor Karli’s memory than to help students live the American dream and reach their full potential.”

The Karli Short Better Tomorrow Foundation will host a major fundraising gala July 15 in Pittsburgh, featuring many of Short’s famous football friends. Franco Harris, LaVar Arrington and Curtis Martin are among those scheduled to appear at the event, hosted by former Penn State lineman Anthony “Spice” Adams.

The gala’s collection of auction items and experiences is a wish list for football fans. It includes two tickets to Super Bowl LVII; tickets and sideline passes to a Steelers-Ravens game, a Giants-Eagles game and a Rams-Panthers game; and four tickets and sideline passes to the Penn State-Ohio State game. Memorabilia signed by Aaron Donald, Saquon Barkley and Zion Williamson, among many others, will be available for bid.

Two other unique offerings include the chance to go backstage at “The Bachelorette” with host Jesse Palmer (Short’s former teammate in New York) and a fantasy football draft consultation with Fox Sports analyst Jay Glazer. Tickets are available on the foundation’s website.

“You see what people are about when you’re dealing with difficult times,” Short said. “I’m fortunate to have good friends and people in my life. A lot of them are part of the Penn State and the NFL fraternity.”

Short launched a remarkable career from McKeesport, where he witnessed “too much” violence as a child. He became an All-American linebacker and captain at Penn State, played seven seasons in the NFL and earned an MBA from Columbia University. He works in international finance and is a member of Penn State’s Board of Trustees.

Short and his family had returned to the U.S. in 2021 after living in London when their lives changed. Police charged a 26-year-old man with the September 2021 murder of Karli Short and are seeking the death penalty.

Like her father, Karli Short grew up in McKeesport. She was a cheerleader for the White Oak Falcons and played basketball at the McKeesport YMCA. She studied cosmetology and also worked as a caregiver at several area assisted-living facilities.

Short said his daughter made “the best mac and cheese in the world.”

“She was a beautiful young lady,” he said. “She was courageous and worked to make the people around her better. She inspired people, challenged people, and would do everything she could to help them. She was amazing. The world lost a lot.”

Short began the foundation in McKeesport and at Penn State Greater Allegheny because that’s where he began. It will focus initially on scholarship support but also will include education and mentorship opportunities. Short said he will mentor some of the program’s initial participants.

“It’s a pretty rough place,” Short said of McKeesport. “When you’re there, you don’t realize it’s as rough as it is, because it’s what you see every day. But there are good people in McKeesport, and they’re hard-working, blue-collar folks. The steel mills shut down, and crime came in.

“I still think that there are a lot of positives that can and will happen in McKeesport. But like a lot of places, there’s a scourge of violence and gun-related crime. And I want to do what I can to offer support to people in the area, because that’s where I’m from.”

Short placed education as central to his mission, since it has been so central to his life. He wants to begin in McKeesport.

“You start with what’s closest to you,” he said. “A lot of kids on that campus [at Penn State Greater Allegheny] have been affected by gun violence and can use our help. We have a grand vision to grow, but we want to start slowly, get some big wins early and move forward with our vision.”