Napoleon Harris facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Napoleon Harris
Harris with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008
Supervisor of Thornton Township
Incumbent
Assumed office May 19, 2025
Preceded by	Tiffany Henyard
Member of the Illinois Senate from the 15th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 9, 2013
Preceded by	James T. Meeks
Personal details
Born	Napoleon Bill Harris III (1979-02-25) February 25, 1979 (age 46) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	Northwestern University (BA)
Football career
No. 58, 50, 99
Position:	Linebacker
Personal information
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
High school:	Thornton Township (IL)
College:	Northwestern
NFL Draft:	2002 / Round: 1 / Pick: 23
Career history
Oakland Raiders (2002–2004) Minnesota Vikings (2005–2006) Kansas City Chiefs (2007) Minnesota Vikings (2008) Oakland Raiders (2009)*
Career highlights and awards
PFWA All-Rookie Team (2002) 2× Second-team All-Big Ten (2000, 2001)
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles: 484 Sacks: 8.5 Forced fumbles: 4 Fumble recoveries: 1 Interceptions: 4 Defensive touchdowns: 1

Napoleon Bill Harris III (born February 25, 1979) is an American politician and a former professional football player. He has been a member of the Illinois Senate since 2013, representing the 15th district. This district covers many towns in Illinois, including Blue Island, Calumet City, Homewood, and Steger.

Before becoming a politician, Napoleon Harris played as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played for teams like the Oakland Raiders, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Early Life and School Sports

Napoleon Harris grew up in Dixmoor, Illinois. He went to Lincoln Elementary School, Rosa L. Parks Middle School, and Thornton Township High School. He was a great athlete in three different sports and also an honor student. Sadly, his father passed away when Napoleon was in his junior year of high school.

High School Achievements

At Thornton Township High School in Harvey, Illinois, Harris was an honor student. He earned special recognition in both football and basketball. In football, he made 23 sacks (tackling the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage) and 98 tackles (stopping an opponent with the ball). He was named the Defensive Player of the Year by several newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. In basketball, he scored about 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds per game for the top-ranked team in the country.

College Football Career

Harris went on to Northwestern University, where he played college football for the Northwestern Wildcats. For one year, he also played basketball. During his college football career, he made 334 tackles, which placed him 11th on Northwestern's all-time list. In his senior year, he was named to the All-Big Ten Conference team.

NFL Career Highlights

Napoleon Harris was chosen in the first round of the 2002 NFL draft by the Oakland Raiders. He was the 23rd player picked overall. In his first year, he started 13 games and played in the Super Bowl XXXVII with the Raiders. He was also named to the Pro Football Weekly All-Rookie team, which means he was one of the best new players that year.

Playing for Different Teams

In 2005, Harris joined the Minnesota Vikings as part of a big trade. He played two seasons with the Vikings. In his second season there, he had 96 tackles, 3 interceptions (catching a pass meant for an opponent), and 3.5 sacks.

On March 6, 2007, Harris signed a six-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. However, the Chiefs released him in October 2008. Just two days later, he returned to the Minnesota Vikings. In his second time with the Vikings, he played 10 games and even scored his first NFL touchdown by returning a fumble 27 yards. In August 2009, he briefly signed with the Oakland Raiders again before being released.

During his NFL career, Napoleon Harris played in 100 games. He made 484 total tackles, 8.5 sacks, and 4 interceptions.

Life After Football

After his NFL career, Napoleon Harris focused on his family. He is married and has two children. He also became a business owner, opening two Beggars Pizza restaurants.

Becoming a State Senator

In 2011, when Illinois State Senator James Meeks decided to retire, Napoleon Harris decided to run for the open seat in the 15th district. His main goal was to help create more jobs and economic growth in the area. He won the primary election in 2012 and then ran unopposed in the general election. He officially became a state senator in January 2013.

Senator Harris's Work

As a state senator, Harris is involved in many important committees. These committees discuss and make decisions on different topics. He is the chairman of several committees, including:

• Appropriations – Personnel and Procurement Committee
• Executive – Tobacco Committee
• Insurance Committee
• Redistricting – South Cook County

He also co-chairs the Critical Energy Infrastructure and Grid Reliability committee. Being part of these committees means he helps shape laws and policies for Illinois.

Thornton Township Leadership

In local politics, Napoleon Harris became the Democratic committeeman for Thornton Township. This is an important leadership role in the local Democratic Party.

In December 2024, Harris was chosen as the Democratic candidate for Thornton Township Supervisor. He won the election for township supervisor on April 1, 2025, with 74% of the votes. He was sworn into this new role on May 19, 2025.

Images for kids

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  Harris with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008