Nic Harris
Encyclopedia
Nic Harris is an American football
linebacker
for the Carolina Panthers
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills
in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Oklahoma
.
ESPN.com ranked him the No. 11 safety in the nation. Scout.com ranked him the No. 14 Safety and No. 62 player in the Southeast. Rivals.com declared him the No. 5 safety in the nation, while CollegeFootballNews.com ranked him the No. 7 safety in the nation. Harris was courted by several major Division I College football programs (Texas A&M, Michigan, Louisiana State, and Nebraska to name a few), before choosing the Oklahoma Sooners over the Michigan Wolverines.
Harris was recognized on the All-Big 12 second team by the coaches as a sophomore in 2006. He spent much of the season in the nickel role (only coming in for five-defensive back sets) before taking over as free safety for the last three games. He led OU with four interceptions, two of which came at Oregon and finished fourth on the team in total tackles with 68, and was credited with 2.5 sacks. Harris broke up two passes against Oklahoma State and Nebraska and had a career high eight tackles at Oregon.
Against North Texas in the 2007 opener, Harris had 2 tackles for loss, broke up a pass, collected a sack for -10 yards, forced a fumble, and returned a Daniel Meager interception 25 yards for a touchdown. Against the Miami Hurricanes in week 2, Harris had 2.5 more tackles for loss and forced another fumble.
in the fifth round (147th overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft
. He appeared in 15 games (two starts) as a rookie and recorded 30 tackles before being placed on injured reserve
on January 1, 2010. Harris was waived by Buffalo after failing a physical on July 30, 2010.
on August 14, 2010. Harris was released prior to the 2011 and is currently a free agent.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
.
Early years
In his career with Alexandria Senior High School, Harris established a school record with 21 interceptions returning 9 for touchdowns. He tallied 81 tackles and intercepted 10 passes as a junior, recorded 74 tackles and intercepted 11 passes, returning four for touchdowns his senior season, and led the school to consecutive state playoffs appearances. He was named All-CENLA defensive MVP his senior year, and garnered national attention.ESPN.com ranked him the No. 11 safety in the nation. Scout.com ranked him the No. 14 Safety and No. 62 player in the Southeast. Rivals.com declared him the No. 5 safety in the nation, while CollegeFootballNews.com ranked him the No. 7 safety in the nation. Harris was courted by several major Division I College football programs (Texas A&M, Michigan, Louisiana State, and Nebraska to name a few), before choosing the Oklahoma Sooners over the Michigan Wolverines.
College career
As a true freshman in 2005, Harris started the Kansas State and Texas games at free safety. When he and true freshman Reggie Smith teamed up as defensive backs against the Wildcats, it marked only the second time in school history that two freshmen had started in the secondary. He logged seven tackles and one sack against KSU and seven tackles against the Longhorns with one forced fumble.Harris was recognized on the All-Big 12 second team by the coaches as a sophomore in 2006. He spent much of the season in the nickel role (only coming in for five-defensive back sets) before taking over as free safety for the last three games. He led OU with four interceptions, two of which came at Oregon and finished fourth on the team in total tackles with 68, and was credited with 2.5 sacks. Harris broke up two passes against Oklahoma State and Nebraska and had a career high eight tackles at Oregon.
Against North Texas in the 2007 opener, Harris had 2 tackles for loss, broke up a pass, collected a sack for -10 yards, forced a fumble, and returned a Daniel Meager interception 25 yards for a touchdown. Against the Miami Hurricanes in week 2, Harris had 2.5 more tackles for loss and forced another fumble.
Statistics
| Year | G-GS | UT | AT | Total | Loss | Sacks | INT | FC | FR | PBU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 10-2 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 1-0 | 1-0 | - | 1 | - | |
| 2006 | 14-8 | 40 | 28 | 68 | 8-42 | 3-11 | 4-11 | - | - | 8 |
| Total | 24-10 | 48 | 36 | 84 | 9-42 | 4-11 | 4-11 | 1 | - | 8 |
Buffalo Bills
Harris was drafted by the Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fifth round (147th overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
. He appeared in 15 games (two starts) as a rookie and recorded 30 tackles before being placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
on January 1, 2010. Harris was waived by Buffalo after failing a physical on July 30, 2010.
Carolina Panthers
Harris signed with the Carolina PanthersCarolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
on August 14, 2010. Harris was released prior to the 2011 and is currently a free agent.