Tommie Harris facts for kids
Harris in 2007
|
|||||||||||
| No. 91, 96, 90 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | April 29, 1983 Nuremberg, Germany |
||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 295 lb (134 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Ellison (Killeen, Texas), U.S. | ||||||||||
| College: | Oklahoma | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 14 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Tommie Harris Jr. (born April 29, 1983) is a former professional football player. He was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. Tommie played college football for the University of Oklahoma. He was recognized as one of the best college players twice. The Chicago Bears picked him in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft. He also played for the San Diego Chargers. Tommie was chosen for the Pro Bowl three times during his career.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Tommie Harris was born in Nuremberg, Germany. His father, Tommie Sr., was a United States Army drill sergeant there. Tommie and his family moved around a lot because of his father's Army job. They eventually settled in Killeen, Texas. His father became a minister, and his mother was a special education teacher. Tommie grew up in a Christian home with his four sisters.
He went to Ellison High School in Killeen. As part of the Ellison Eagles team, Tommie became one of the top high school defensive players in the country. In 1998, he was a backup defensive tackle for the Eagles. That year, the team was ranked number one in Texas. Tommie also competed in track and field, where he threw the shot put.
College Football Career
Tommie Harris played for the Oklahoma Sooners football team from 2001 to 2003. Their coach was Bob Stoops. Tommie was one of the few players in Oklahoma history to start every game as a freshman.
He was chosen for the All-Big 12 team twice. He was also named a first-team All-American in 2002 and 2003. In his last year at Oklahoma in 2003, Tommie won the Lombardi Award. This award goes to the best lineman in the nation. He was also named to the Sports Illustrated All-Decade Team in 2009.
Professional Football Journey
The Chicago Bears chose Tommie Harris as the 14th overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft. He was a 3-technique defensive tackle. This position fit well with coach Lovie Smith's defense. Smith thought Tommie was similar to Warren Sapp, another great defensive tackle.
Playing for the Chicago Bears
Tommie played in all 16 games for the Bears in the 2004 NFL season. He made 44 tackles and 3.5 sacks. He finished second for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
In 2005, Tommie was chosen for his first 2006 Pro Bowl.
He started the 2006 season very well. He led the league with five sacks after four games. In a game against the Vikings, he caused a fumble that helped the Bears score the winning touchdown. Tommie won the NFC's "Defensive Player of the Week" award twice that season. He got a hamstring injury in Week 13, which ended his season. Even so, he was selected for the 2007 Pro Bowl.
Tommie missed the first three preseason games in 2007 while recovering. He played in all 16 regular games for the Bears. He finished the 2007 season with a career-high eight sacks. He was chosen for his third straight Pro Bowl, but he could not play due to a knee injury.
In June 2008, Tommie signed a new four-year contract with the Bears. It was worth $40 million, making him the highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL at the time. He missed a game in Week 4 due to a knee injury. The Bears later suspended him for missing treatments for his knee. He played in 14 games that year, making 37 tackles and 4 sacks.
Tommie's playing time with the Bears went down after he hurt his knee again in Week 6 of the 2009 season. He never fully recovered from this injury.
In 2010, Tommie was benched after the second week of the season. His coach, Lovie Smith, said they wanted to give other players a chance. Tommie struggled to keep his starting spot that season. He finished the year with 13 tackles and 1.5 sacks, his lowest numbers with the Bears.
The Bears released Tommie Harris on February 28, 2011. He played seven years with the Bears. He finished his time there with 213 tackles, 28.5 sacks, and 5 forced fumbles in 104 games.
Time with Other Teams
On August 2, 2011, Tommie signed a one-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts. However, he was released by the team on September 3.
Tommie then signed with the San Diego Chargers on September 28, 2011. He joined the team to help their defensive line after some players got injured. He played in 13 games for the Chargers. He recorded 12 tackles and 3.5 sacks during his time there.
Retirement from Football
Tommie Harris retired from football in 2012. He decided to focus on raising his children after his wife passed away.
Life After Football
After retiring, Tommie Harris became a co-owner of the Texas Outlaws. This was a team in the Fall Experimental Football League. He also gave $165,000 to help pay for new equipment at the Lions Club Park Family Recreation and Senior Center in Killeen, Texas. The recreation center there was named after him to honor his donation.
Personal Life and Challenges
Tommie Harris was mentored by NFL Hall of Famer Reggie White. White's guidance greatly influenced Tommie's life and football career. Tommie remained close with the White family even after Reggie's passing in 2004.
Tommie published a book in 2021 called Endure: Playing Through Life's Hardest Hits. The book shares how he coped with difficult times in his life.
Images for kids
-
Harris in 2007
