For faster navigation, this Iframe is preloading the Wikiwand page for Tim Harris (linebacker).

Tim Harris (linebacker)

This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous.Find sources: "Tim Harris" linebacker – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Tim Harris
No. 97, 99, 92
Position:Outside linebacker,
Defensive end
Personal information
Born: (1964-09-10) September 10, 1964 (age 59)
Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Height:6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight:265 lb (120 kg)
Career information
High school:Woodlawn (Birmingham, AL)
Memphis Catholic (Memphis, Tennessee)
College:Memphis
NFL draft:1986 / Round: 4 / Pick: 84
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Sacks:81
Fumble recoveries:8
Games:122

Timothy David Harris (born September 10, 1964) is an American former professional football player who was an outside linebacker and defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Green Bay Packers (1986–1990), the San Francisco 49ers (1991–1992, 1994–1995), and the Philadelphia Eagles (1993). He played college football at the University of Memphis and was selected by the Packers in the fourth round of the 1986 NFL Draft.[1][2]

As he entered Birmingham's Woodlawn High School, he began to excel in both football and basketball, but he moved with his aunt and uncle, who were teachers, to Memphis after his junior season. "My grades were not so good (at Woodlawn High) and I was not hanging around with the right people," Harris said. "And my mom and I thought I'd get more exposure in Memphis." [1]

Harris attended Memphis Catholic High School, but he was ineligible for most of the football season because of the move. Catholic High made the playoffs and Harris was finally declared eligible.

In his one and only game for Catholic, Harris recorded 22 tackles and caught the attention of major college coaches, including those at UCLA, Notre Dame and Tennessee. But he chose to stay close to home and play for the University of Memphis Tigers, where he was part of the nation's top-ranked defense for two seasons in 1984 and 85.

In The NFL, Harris was a key defensive player for a Packers team that finished 10-6 during the 1989 season, their best record since 1972. The team was referred to the "Cardiac Pack" because of several close game wins. Harris finished that season with a career best 19.5 sacks and was selected to the Pro Bowl. Later in his career, he recorded 17 sacks as part of the 1992 San Francisco team that reached the NFC Championship Game. Two seasons later, he would earn a Super Bowl ring as the 49ers won Super Bowl XXIX.

Harris was a talkative, outgoing player whose signature celebration after a sack was "six gun" hand gestures whereby he pretended to shoot the opposing player. The NFL eventually banned his celebration as overly aggressive and unsportsmanlike.

During a Chicago Bears game in 1987 at Soldier Field, Harris and a young pair of Bears fans almost got into a fight over a flattened cup that was thrown directly at Harris. After the NFL and Pete Rozelle investigated the incident, it was determined that no disciplinary action would take place against Harris for the outburst.

In 2022, Harris was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.[3]

References

  1. ^ "Tim Harris spent career getting into opponents' heads".
  2. ^ "1986 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  3. ^ "Tim Harris, Greg Jennings bring impressive careers to Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame". USA Today.
{{bottomLinkPreText}} {{bottomLinkText}}
Tim Harris (linebacker)
Listen to this article

This browser is not supported by Wikiwand :(
Wikiwand requires a browser with modern capabilities in order to provide you with the best reading experience.
Please download and use one of the following browsers:

This article was just edited, click to reload
This article has been deleted on Wikipedia (Why?)

Back to homepage

Please click Add in the dialog above
Please click Allow in the top-left corner,
then click Install Now in the dialog
Please click Open in the download dialog,
then click Install
Please click the "Downloads" icon in the Safari toolbar, open the first download in the list,
then click Install
{{::$root.activation.text}}

Install Wikiwand

Install on Chrome Install on Firefox
Don't forget to rate us

Tell your friends about Wikiwand!

Gmail Facebook Twitter Link

Enjoying Wikiwand?

Tell your friends and spread the love:
Share on Gmail Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Buffer

Our magic isn't perfect

You can help our automatic cover photo selection by reporting an unsuitable photo.

This photo is visually disturbing This photo is not a good choice

Thank you for helping!


Your input will affect cover photo selection, along with input from other users.

X

Get ready for Wikiwand 2.0 🎉! the new version arrives on September 1st! Don't want to wait?