Bruce Harper facts for kids
| No. 42 | |||||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back Return specialist |
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Born: | June 20, 1955 Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 174 lb (79 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| High school: | Dwight Morrow (Englewood, New Jersey) |
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| College: | Kutztown | ||||||||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1977 | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||||||
Bruce S. Harper (born June 20, 1955) is a former American football player. He was a talented running back and return specialist. He played for the New York Jets in the National Football League (NFL). Harper first played college football for the Kutztown Golden Bears. The Jets signed him after the 1977 NFL draft. This means he was not picked in the main draft but signed later.
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Bruce Harper's Early Life
Bruce Harper grew up in Englewood, New Jersey. He played high school football there. His school was Dwight Morrow High School.
College Football Days
Harper went to Kutztown State College. This school is now called Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. While there, he became the first player from his school to rush for over 1,000 yards. Rushing means running with the football.
Playing for the New York Jets
Bruce Harper is a legend for the New York Jets. He holds the team record for kickoff return yards. He gained an amazing 5,407 yards from kickoff returns. A kickoff return is when a player catches the ball after the other team kicks it off. Then they run it back as far as they can.
Harper also returned punts for the Jets. He did this from 1977 to 1982. He gained 1,784 yards from punt returns. He even scored one touchdown on a punt return. A punt return is similar to a kickoff return, but it happens after a punt.
In total, Bruce Harper gained 11,429 yards in his career. This includes:
- 1,829 rushing yards (running with the ball)
- 2,409 receiving yards (catching passes)
- 1,784 punt return yards
- 5,407 kickoff return yards
Harper wore jersey number 42. This number became famous among Jets fans. A very well-known Jets fan, Fireman Ed, often wears Harper's number 42 jersey.
Bruce Harper's Life After Football
Harper used to live in Norwood, New Jersey. Now he lives in Closter, New Jersey.
Bruce Harper started a special organization in 1998. It is called Heroes & Cool Kids. This group is non-profit, meaning it doesn't make money for itself. It helps kids in elementary and middle school. High school athletes and students act as mentors. They teach younger kids important life lessons.
The high school students get special training. This training comes from the Heroes & Cool Kids program. They also learn from former professional athletes. Some of these athletes include:
- Keith Elias, a former NFL player
- John Celestand, a former Los Angeles Lakers basketball player
- Tim Bassett, a former New Jersey Nets basketball player
This program helps young people learn about teamwork, respect, and making good choices.
