Age: 25
4th
season in pro football & with Seahawks
College: Arizona
State
Height: 6’2” Weight: 200
Prelude:
Harris
intercepted 12 passes in his last two collegiate seasons and also excelled as a
kick returner, garnering All-Western Athletic Conference honors after each. He
was chosen by the Seahawks in the seventh round of the 1978 NFL draft and moved
directly into the starting lineup at free safety. Harris suffered through an
injury-plagued ’79 season that limited him to seven games, but bounced back to
regain his starting job in 1980, intercepting six passes. 1981 marked the
arrival of rookie first draft choice Ken Easley, who moved into the lineup at
strong safety and created an effective tandem with Harris.
1981 Season Summary
Appeared in all
16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Interceptions
– 10 [2, 1st in AFC]
Most
interceptions, game – 2 at Oakland 9/20, at Green Bay 11/1
Int. return
yards – 155 [8, tied with Ken Easley]
Most int.
return yards, game – 60 (on 2 int.) at Green Bay 11/1
Int. TDs – 2
[2, tied with Darrol Ray & Cedric Brown]
Fumble
recoveries – 3
Scoring
TDs – 2
Points – 12
Seahawks went
6-10 to finish fifth in the AFC West.
Aftermath:
Harris spent
another four years with the Seahawks, starting every game as part of a talented
overall secondary. Over the course of eight seasons with Seattle, he
intercepted 41 passes, two of which he returned for touchdowns, recovered 11
fumbles, and appeared in 119 games, 112 of which he started. Harris was traded
to Minnesota just prior to the 1986 season and spent the last three years of
his career there. He ended up with a total of 50 interceptions and added
another five in the postseason, four of them with Seattle and two in the AFC
Divisional playoff loss to Miami following the 1984 season.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the
following statistical categories:
Rushing:
Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing:
Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving:
Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Defense:
Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting:
Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
**NFC/AFC
since 1970
