No. 27, 21 | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||
Born: | LaGrange, Georgia, U.S. | August 10, 1974||||||||||||
Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||
Weight: | 192 lb (87 kg) | ||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||
High school: | LaGrange | ||||||||||||
College: | Mississippi State | ||||||||||||
NFL draft: | 1996 / Round: 1 / Pick: 13 | ||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
Walter Lee Harris (born August 10, 1974) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs and was selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 1996 NFL draft with the 13th overall pick. He played for the Bears for six years and was then signed as a free agent by the Indianapolis Colts in 2002. He then signed with Washington Redskins in 2004. He signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 2006 where he earned his 1st trip to the Pro Bowl.
Harris signed with the 49ers in 2006, where he led the team with a career-high eight interceptions.
He was awarded NFC Defensive Player of the Month in November 2006. Harris was also selected to represent the National Football Conference (NFC) in the 2007 Pro Bowl, in place of injured Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Lito Sheppard.
Harris blocked an extra point in a 17-16 LaGrange High School victory against Colquitt County in the 1991 AAAA state championship game, a win that led LaGrange High School to be named national champion by USA Today.
Harris emerged as starter at Mississippi State University as a freshman at cornerback/free safety and played in ten games, including starts in the final three games. As a sophomore, he earned All-SEC (second-team) honors and started every game. That season, he tied the school seasonal record with six interceptions. Harris was an Associated Press and Coaches First-team All-SEC while starting every game at cornerback as junior. That season, he was ranked third in SEC and fifth in nation with six interceptions, led the team with 12 passes defensed, and recovered two fumbles and blocked two kicks. As a senior, he had four interceptions and eight passes defensed, played in the Senior Bowl, and was selected First-team All-SEC. Harris earned All-SEC honors in the final three seasons at Mississippi State. As a four-year letterman, he shares the Mississippi State career interception record with Johnthan Banks at 16.
In 2018, Harris and Art Davis were enshrined into Mississippi State football's "Ring of Honor" adding their names to the facade of Davis Wade Stadium. They joined former Bulldog greats Jack Cristil, Jackie Parker, Shorty McWilliams, D.D. Lewis, Kent Hull, Johnie Cooks, and Joe Fortunato.
Harris was selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round (13th overall) in the 1996 NFL draft. [1] In his rookie season, Harris made 13 starts and recorded a career-high 113 tackles along with two interceptions and two forced fumbles. The following season, he started in all 16 games for the first time in his career and finished the season with 95 tackles and five interceptions. By the time the 1998 season started, Harris was a firmly established member of the team and a consistent starter. From the 1998 season until the end of the 2000 season, he started every game. The 1998 season finished with 85 tackles and four interceptions. In 1999, his fourth for the Bears, Harris made 71 tackles and one interception. The 2000 season saw Harris make 58 tackles and two interceptions. In 2001, his last for the Chicago Bears, Harris made 50 tackles and one interception.
Harris was signed by the Indianapolis Colts on March 18, 2002 as an unrestricted free agent. In his first season with the Colts he started 15 games and made 43 tackles and two interceptions. In his final year for the Colts, Harris made 55 tackles.
Harris was signed by the Washington Redskins as a free agent on March 18, 2004. In his first season with the Redskins, he played in 16 games recording 21 tackles and two interceptions. In 2005, his final year for the Redskins Harris finished the season with 57 tackles and one interception.
Harris was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as a free agent on March 15, 2006. In his debut season with the 49ers, he made 60 tackles, one sack, a career-high eight interceptions, and a 42-yard interception for a touchdown. That earned him his first trip to the Pro Bowl.
In the 2008 season, he recorded 49 tackles, one sack, and three interceptions (as of December 7, 2008). [2] Harris missed the entire 2009 football season after tearing his ACL in 49er organized team activities (OTAs).
Year | Team | Games | Combined Tackles | Tackles | Assisted TAckles | Sacks | Forced Fumbles | Fumble Recoveries | Fumble Return Yards | Interceptions | Interception Return Yards | Yards per Interception Return | Longest Interception Return | Interceptions Returned for Touchdown | Passes Defended |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1996 | CHI | 15 | 95 | 81 | 14 | 0.0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
1997 | CHI | 16 | 80 | 72 | 8 | 0.0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 30 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 16 |
1998 | CHI | 14 | 68 | 63 | 5 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 41 | 10 | 26 | 1 | 16 |
1999 | CHI | 15 | 69 | 60 | 9 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | 0 | 13 |
2000 | CHI | 12 | 40 | 31 | 9 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 35 | 18 | 35 | 1 | 13 |
2001 | CHI | 15 | 50 | 48 | 2 | 0.0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 45 | 45 | 39 | 1 | 9 |
2002 | IND | 15 | 43 | 34 | 9 | 0.0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
2003 | IND | 16 | 54 | 35 | 19 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
2004 | WSH | 16 | 17 | 15 | 2 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 31 | 16 | 31 | 0 | 5 |
2005 | WSH | 13 | 57 | 49 | 8 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
2006 | SF | 15 | 63 | 52 | 11 | 1.0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 84 | 11 | 42 | 1 | 20 |
2007 | SF | 15 | 58 | 47 | 11 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 42 | 11 | 23 | 0 | 13 |
2008 | SF | 16 | 54 | 44 | 10 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 8 | 24 | 0 | 13 |
Career | 193 | 748 | 631 | 117 | 3.0 | 18 | 12 | 0 | 35 | 332 | 9 | 42 | 4 | 166 |
Harris attended LaGrange High School and was All-America honorable mention by USA Today . His team compiled a 34-6 record in his final three years. He also was a track hurdler. He teamed with Thomas Smith to organize ticket donation program called "Corner to Corner" in first season with the Bears that provides tickets for each home game to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago. The program included an on-field visit before each game and visits by Harris and Smith to clubs throughout the season. He partnered with fellow members of Bears secondary and Meals on Wheels in 2000 to "Intercept Hunger" with meal donations being made based on participating players’ performances each game. Harris and his wife, Trina, have four children: Courtney, London, Summer and Brandon.
Nathan D. Clements is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft with the 21st overall pick, and also played for the San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals.
Carlos Cornelius Rogers is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers, earning consensus All-American honors. Rogers was selected by the Washington Redskins with the ninth overall pick in the 2005 NFL draft. He also played for the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders.
Antrel Rocelious Rolle is an American former professional football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning unanimous All-American honors. He was selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the eighth overall pick in the 2005 NFL draft. Rolle also played for the Chicago Bears and New York Giants, winning Super Bowl XLVI with New York in 2011 over the New England Patriots.
Trevor Deshea Townsend is an American football coach and former cornerback who currently is the Defensive backs coach and defensive pass game coordinator for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He previously worked as an assistant coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, New York Giants, Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals.
Chris Harris is an American football coach and former safety who is the passing game coordinator and cornerbacks coach for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft after playing college football for the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
Michael Carl Adams is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He is currently the assistant secondary coach for the New York Giants. Adams played college football for the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens, and was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2004. Adams also played for the Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers, and Houston Texans, and made two Pro Bowls during his 16-year career.
Dashon Hugh Goldson is an American football coach and former safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Washington Huskies, and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL draft. He also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins, and Atlanta Falcons. He is currently an assistant defensive backs coach for the San Francisco 49ers.
Tracy O'Neil Porter is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Porter is best known for being a crucial player during the 2009 New Orleans Saints season, in which he intercepted Brett Favre in the NFC Championship Game and then won Super Bowl XLIV, sealing the game by famously intercepting Peyton Manning and returning it for a touchdown. He played college football at Indiana.
Vontae Ottis Davis is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for the Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, and Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini, and was selected by the Dolphins in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft. He made two Pro Bowls in his career. Davis retired from the NFL in the middle of the Bills' second game of the 2018 season, removing himself from the game at halftime.
D'Andre Lawan "Dre" Kirkpatrick is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at Alabama and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers.
Christopher LaBarren Culliver II is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at South Carolina.
Casey Hayward Jr. is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He played college football at Vanderbilt. Hayward was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 2012 NFL draft and has played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Packers, San Diego / Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons.
Darius Demetrius Slay Jr. is an American football cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Itawamba before transferring to Mississippi State and was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft.
Arlandus Jacob Bouye is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCF Knights, and was signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2013. Bouye also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers.
Kyle Brandon Fuller is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He was selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft and played college football at Virginia Tech.
Terrance Mitchell II is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oregon.
Kendall Christopher Fuller is an American football cornerback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Virginia Tech and was selected by the Washington Redskins in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft. Fuller also played for the Kansas City Chiefs, recording a game-sealing interception in Super Bowl LIV.
Jalen Carnell Collins, nicknamed "Snacks", is an American professional football cornerback who is a free agent. He played college football at LSU and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Collins has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Wildcats, Tampa Bay Vipers, Toronto Argonauts and Edmonton Elks.
Charvarius "Mooney" Ward is an American football cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders.
George Odum is an American football safety and special teamer for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Central Arkansas before signing with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2018. Odum was named to the 2020 and 2022 All-Pro Team for his special team play.