Nick Harper (American football)

Last updated

Nick Harper
Nick Harper signs autograph.jpg
No. 25, 20
Position: Cornerback
Personal information
Born: (1974-09-10) September 10, 1974 (age 50)
Milledgeville, Georgia, U.S.
Height:5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:182 lb (83 kg)
Career information
High school: Baldwin (GA)
College: Fort Valley State
Undrafted: 2001
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:626
Forced fumbles:2
Fumble recoveries:5
Pass deflections:90
Interceptions:21
Defensive touchdowns:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Nicholas Necosi Harper (born September 10, 1974) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as a street free agent in 2000. He played college football for the Fort Valley State Wildcats.

Contents

Harper played for the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans. He earned a Super Bowl ring while with the Colts in Super Bowl XLI against the Chicago Bears.

Early life

Harper attended Baldwin High School and was a letterman in football, wrestling, baseball, and track & field. In football, as a senior, he won first-team All-Conference honors and was named the team MVP.

College career

Harper played college football at Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Georgia.

Professional career

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

After being declared ineligible for his senior season at Fort Valley State in 2000, Harper signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League and appeared in 18 games for the team. [1]

Indianapolis Colts

Harper signed with the Indianapolis Colts on January 16, 2001. [1]

In 2005, the Colts finished first in the AFC with a 14–2 record, the team faced the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the playoffs. With under two minutes remaining in the game and trailing 21–18, Harper picked up a Jerome Bettis fumble near the Indianapolis goal line and returned it to their 43-yard line before getting tackled by Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Colts' commentators, as well as teammates such as Gary Brackett, said had Harper returned the football along the sideline instead of in the middle of the field, or had his leg been 100% healthy, the Colts would have won the game. Indianapolis would end up missing the potential game-tying field goal, and Pittsburgh went on to win Super Bowl XL. [2]

The following season the Colts won Super Bowl XLI, giving Harper his first Super Bowl ring.

Tennessee Titans

Before the 2007 season, Harper signed a 3-year deal with the Tennessee Titans as a free agent. Harper played in and started 14 games and registered 80 tackles, three interceptions, 14 passes defensed, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in his first season with the Titans. [1]

In 2008, Harper finished second on the team with 17 passes defensed. [1]

NFL career statistics

Legend
BoldCareer high

Regular season

YearTeamGamesTacklesInterceptionsFumbles
GPGSCmbSoloAstSckTFLIntYdsTDLngPDFFFRYdsTD
2001 IND 132322570.0021701480100
2002 IND 161494360.00000050000
2003 IND 16139783140.074121175140000
2004 IND 14147758190.01312012801150
2005 IND 1515666060.02341021150170
2006 IND 15157558170.0231801990000
2007 TEN 14147864140.03362032111200
2008 TEN 1313716830.01211011141000
2009 TEN 11118169120.02140460000
12798626528980.018212861759025220

Playoffs

YearTeamGamesTacklesInterceptionsFumbles
GPGSCmbSoloAstSckTFLIntYdsTDLngPDFFFRYdsTD
2002 IND 106420.00000000000
2003 IND 3011920.00000021000
2004 IND 225500.01000010000
2005 IND 119900.000000101350
2006 IND 44141310.00190921000
2007 TEN 110000.00000000000
2008 TEN 113300.00000010000
139484350.011909721350

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Titans Player Bio". Archived from the original on October 17, 2016. Retrieved May 7, 2009.
  2. "The Indianapolis Star".