Major Harris (American football) facts for kids
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| No. 9 | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||
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| Born: | February 15, 1968 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 205 lb (93 kg) | ||||||||||
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| High school: | Brashear (Pittsburgh) | ||||||||||
| College: | West Virginia | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1990 / Round: 12 / Pick: 317 | ||||||||||
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| Player stats at ArenaFan.com | |||||||||||
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Major Harris (born February 15, 1968) is a former American college football player. He was a star quarterback for the West Virginia Mountaineers in the late 1980s.
Harris was named a first-team All-American in 1989. He also finished high in the voting for the Heisman Trophy in both 1988 and 1989. This award goes to the best college football player. He was also named the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Player of the Year twice.
Major Harris was honored by being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009. After college, he played professionally in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and Arena Football League (AFL). Today, he is an assistant coach for wide receivers at North Hills High School in Pittsburgh.
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Early Life and High School Football
Major Harris grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He played football at Brashear High School. People sometimes called him the "Brashear Bullet" because of how fast he was.
In his senior year, Harris threw a game-winning touchdown pass. It was 79 yards long and happened on the very last play. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette newspaper named him Pittsburgh's high school football player of the year twice.
College Football Career
Major Harris chose to play college football at West Virginia University. Coach Don Nehlen wanted to improve the quarterback position. Coach Nehlen even set up a special two-hand touch football camp. He said, "The kids couldn't touch him."
Freshman Season (1987)
Harris competed for the starting quarterback job. He won the position and became the team's leader. He had some struggles at first.
But in the fifth game against East Carolina University, Harris played very well. He helped West Virginia get a spot in the Sun Bowl game. They lost the bowl game, but Harris ran for over 100 yards. That season, he threw for 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also rushed for 615 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Sophomore Season (1988)
In 1988, Harris led West Virginia to an amazing season. They went undefeated and untied in the regular season. This earned them a chance to play against No. 1 ranked Notre Dame. The game was the Fiesta Bowl and it was for the national championship.
Harris amazed opponents with his exciting and unpredictable playing style. He threw for a career-high 297 yards against Boston College. One of his most memorable games was against Penn State. West Virginia won 51–30. Harris gained more yards by himself than the entire Penn State team.
His great play helped him finish fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting that year. He also won the ECAC Player of the Year award. He threw for 1,915 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also rushed for 610 yards and 6 touchdowns.
In the National Championship game, Harris separated his shoulder early on. He stayed in the game but could not throw as well. West Virginia lost to Notre Dame, 34–21.
"The Play" Against Penn State
In the 1988 game against Penn State, Major Harris made a famous play. He had forgotten the play call in the huddle. When the ball was snapped, his whole team went one way. Harris went the other way!
He tricked many Penn State defenders. Seven of them missed tackling him as he ran for a thrilling touchdown. This play is one of the most famous in West Virginia University history.
Coach Don Nehlen later said, "Everybody else on our offense went one way, and Major went the other. He literally ran through the Penn State defense for a touchdown." Harris apologized to his coach after the play. People still talk about this incredible run today.
Junior Season (1989)
As a junior in 1989, Harris continued to play spectacularly. He led West Virginia to an 8-2-1 season. He had a career-high 163 rushing yards against Rutgers.
He finished third in the 1989 Heisman Trophy voting. He was also named a first-team All-American. For the second year in a row, he was the ECAC Player of the Year. Harris led his team to the Gator Bowl, but they lost to Clemson.
That season, Harris threw for 2,058 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also rushed for 936 yards and 6 touchdowns. He set new school records for total offense and quarterback rushing yards. These records have since been broken.
Major Harris's Legacy
Major Harris set a West Virginia University record with 7,334 total yards in his career. He was one of the first college quarterbacks to pass for over 5,000 yards and rush for over 2,000 yards. His 2,161 rushing yards rank high on the school's all-time rushing list.
His longest pass was 70 yards, and his longest run was 75 yards. In 2009, Major Harris was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. In 2021, West Virginia University honored him by retiring his #9 jersey.
Professional Football Career
After his junior year, Major Harris decided to leave college early. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Raiders in the 1990 NFL draft. However, he chose to sign with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL) instead.
CFL and Arena Football League
In the CFL, Harris played as a backup quarterback in 1990. He completed 18 of 42 passes for 300 yards. He also rushed for 145 yards and three touchdowns.
Harris then played three seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL). In 1991, he rushed for 429 yards, which was a league record for many years. He also passed for 940 yards and nine touchdowns that season. Overall, in the AFL, Harris passed for 2,159 yards and 29 touchdowns. He also rushed for 837 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Minor League Football
Major Harris also played for several minor league football teams. He played for the West Virginia Lightning and the Huntington Hawks from 1994 to 1996. The West Virginia Lightning won the National Minor Football League Championship with Harris as their quarterback.
He also played for the Ohio Cannon in 1999 and the Southern Michigan Timberwolves. Later, he played for the Charleston Swamp Foxes in AF2 in 2003.
