Richard Harris (American football)
Harris on his 1974 Topps football card | |
| No. 84, 77 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Defensive end |
| Personal information | |
| Born | January 21, 1948 Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | July 26, 2011 (aged 63) Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 265 lb (120 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Grambling State |
| NFL draft | 1971: 1st round, 5th overall pick |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1971–1973 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1974–1975 | Chicago Bears |
| 1976–1977 | Seattle Seahawks |
Coaching | |
| 1989 | Eastside Express (HC) |
| 1991–1996 | Puget Sound Jets (HC) |
| 2000 | Portland Prowlers (HC) |
| 2001–2004 | BC Lions (DL coach) |
| 2005 | Ottawa Renegades (DL coach) |
| 2006–2010 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers (DL coach) |
| 2011 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Asst. HC/DL coach) |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Richard Drew Harris (January 21, 1948 – July 26, 2011) was an American professional football player who was a defensive end who played seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was an All-American in 1970 for Grambling and was selected in the first round (5th overall pick) of the 1971 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, the first defensive player chosen. Harris was named to the NFL All-Rookie team in 1971 and was widely regarded as one of the fastest defensive linemen in professional football before being hobbled by knee injuries.
Harris spent seven seasons as a lineman in the NFL – three with the Philadelphia Eagles, two more with the Chicago Bears, and a final two years with the Seattle Seahawks. After his retirement from the NFL, Harris began a second career as a coach, leading several indoor football teams as head coach before working as a defensive assistant for the BC Lions, Ottawa Renegades, and Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL).