Kwame Harris facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kwame Harris

Harris with the Oakland Raiders in 2008
No. 77
Position:	Offensive tackle
Personal information
Born:	(1982-03-15) March 15, 1982 (age 43) Jamaica
Height:	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Weight:	320 lb (145 kg)
Career information
High school:	Newark (Newark, Delaware, U.S.)
College:	Stanford
NFL Draft:	2003 / Round: 1 / Pick: 26
Career history
San Francisco 49ers (2003–2007) Oakland Raiders (2008) Florida Tuskers (2010)*
Career highlights and awards
Morris Trophy (2002) First-team All-Pac-10 (2002) Second-team All-Pac-10 (2001)
Career NFL statistics
Games played: 86 Games started: 55 Fumble recoveries: 4
Player stats at PFR

Kwame Harris (born March 15, 1982) is a former professional American football player. He was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. Harris played college football at Stanford University. In 2002, he won the Morris Trophy. This award goes to the best offensive lineman in the Pac-10 Conference. The San Francisco 49ers chose him in the first round of the 2003 NFL draft.

Harris played high school football in Delaware. He was one of the best offensive linemen in the country. He played three years at Stanford. There, he earned all-conference honors twice. He was also named an honorable mention All-American in his last season. Harris was a top offensive lineman in the 2003 draft. He played five seasons with the 49ers. He also played one season with the Oakland Raiders. He was a starter for most of his career. However, he sometimes had trouble with blocking and getting penalties.

Early Life and Interests

Kwame Harris was born in Jamaica. He moved to the United States when he was three years old. His family first lived in The Bronx, New York. Later, they moved to Delaware. His father owned several successful restaurants there.

Harris started playing the piano at age five. He began playing the violin in seventh grade. He grew up in Newark, Delaware. He went to Newark High School. Harris played the violin in his high school orchestra. He also played high school football. He was chosen as an All-American. Many considered him one of the best high school offensive linemen in the nation.

College Football Career

Harris studied music at Stanford University. He played football for the Cardinal for three years. He was a starter at right tackle for two of those years. In his first year, he played seven games at left tackle. He was the team's best backup offensive lineman.

He became one of the top linemen in the Pac-10 Conference. In his second year, he earned Second-team All-Pac-10 honors. He started 12 games at right tackle that year. In his final season in 2002, Harris started 11 games. He was named First-team All-Pac-10. He also won the Morris Trophy as the best offensive lineman in the conference. He was an honorable mention All-American. He also earned honorable mention Academic All-Pac-10. Harris decided to enter the NFL draft. He left Stanford before his final year of eligibility.

Professional Football Career

Playing for the San Francisco 49ers

Kwame Harris was considered the second-best offensive tackle in the 2003 NFL draft. Only Jordan Gross was ranked higher. The San Francisco 49ers picked him in the first round. He was the 26th overall pick in the draft. He played five seasons with the 49ers.

From 2004 to 2007, he started 37 games in a row. He started the last five games of 2004 at left tackle. Then, he played 32 games at right tackle for the next two years. Harris was good at blocking for runs. However, he was not always consistent at protecting the quarterback. He often struggled to block defensive linemen. He also got many penalties. In 2005, he allowed nine sacks. He also had 15 penalties, including seven false starts. The next year, he allowed eight sacks. He also had four holding penalties and one false start. In 2007, the 49ers drafted Joe Staley. Staley became the starting right tackle. Harris then became a backup player in his final year with the team.

Time with the Oakland Raiders

In 2008, Harris signed a three-year contract. It was worth $16 million with the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders hoped that their line coach, Tom Cable, could help him improve. Harris started 11 games that year. However, late in the season, he again had trouble with his blocking and penalties. The Raiders released him after that season.

Playing for the Florida Tuskers

In 2010, Harris was cut by the Florida Tuskers. This team was part of the United Football League. He then decided to retire from football. Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive guard Darnell Stapleton replaced him. Harris played six seasons in his NFL career. He started 55 games out of 86 total games.

After Football Career

After retiring from football, Harris went back to college. He wanted to finish his degree. In 2023, he was honored. He was inducted into the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame.

Family Life

Kwame Harris has two brothers who also played football. His younger brother, Orien, played in the NFL as a defensive tackle. His older brother, Duevorn, was a defensive tackle in the Arena Football League.

See also

• Homosexuality in American football
• List of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender sportspeople