Nick Harper (American football)
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Necosi Harper is a currently a free agent American football
cornerback
in the National Football League
. He was signed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
as an street free agent in 2000. He played college football
at Fort Valley State University
in Fort Valley, Georgia
.
Harper has played for the Tennessee Titans
and Indianapolis Colts
. He earned a Super Bowl ring
with the Colts in Super Bowl XLI
.
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.
of the Canadian Football League
and appeared in 18 games for the team.
on January 16, 2001.
In the divisional championship round of the 2005 playoffs, and with less than one and a half minutes of play remaining, the Pittsburgh Steelers
received the ball back on downs from the Indianapolis Colts and were left a first down and goal situation, leading 21-18. Pittsburgh's veteran running back
Jerome Bettis
(who had not fumble
d during the regular season) tried to power his way in for the score, but the ball popped out when linebacker
Gary Brackett
hit the ball with his helmet. Immediately, Harper, picked up the ball and headed for the Steelers' end zone
with several blockers
around him. It appeared as if Harper would take the football all of the way for a touchdown
, robbing Pittsburgh of their victory. As Harper was running down the field, Steelers quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger
, who had been turned completely around several times desperately trying to stay in front of the speedy Harper, managed to get hold of Harper's right shin and slow him down enough for several other Steelers to catch up and bring him down at the Colts' 42-yard line.
After the play, the Colts offense drove down the field in an attempt to score a touchdown. The Colts were forced to settle for a 46-yard field goal
attempt to tie the game. However, kicker
Mike Vanderjagt
, who had succeeded in all of his kicks in home games, missed the field goal as it traveled wide-right. The Steelers managed to hold on and win the game 21-18 and proceeded to the AFC Championship game.
The Indianapolis Colts
won Super Bowl XLI
win following the 2006 season
, giving Harper his first Super Bowl ring
.
, 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.
In 2008, Harper finished second on the team with 17 passes defensed.
with their three sons, Nicholas, Darius and Eric. After his professional football career, Harper will dedicate his time coaching his sons, Harper says that his two oldest sons Nicholas and Darius already have a deep passion for football and they even watch game film with him at home.
Harper and Titans running backs coach Earnest Byner
share the same hometown, following the Washington Redskins
Super Bowl XXVI
win, Harper went to the victory parade and heard Byner speak in Milledgeville
.
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...
cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
in 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 signed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
as an street free agent in 2000. 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 Fort Valley State University
Fort Valley State University
Fort Valley State University is a historically black university located in Fort Valley, Georgia. It is also a unit of the University System of Georgia and a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund...
in Fort Valley, Georgia
Fort Valley, Georgia
Fort Valley is a city in and the county seat of Peach County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 9,815.Fort Valley is the corporate headquarters of the Blue Bird Corporation, a large manufacturer of buses...
.
Harper has played for the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
and Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
. He earned a Super Bowl ring
Super Bowl ring
The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the winners of the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl...
with the Colts in Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
.
Early years
Harper attended Baldwin High SchoolBaldwin High School (Georgia)
Baldwin High School , is located at 155 Highway 49 West in Milledgeville, Georgia, USA. The original building opened in 1988 as a combination of Milledgeville's two former high schools, Boddie High School and the original Baldwin High School. New additions since 2000 include a classroom hallway, a...
and was a letterman in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, wrestling
Scholastic wrestling
Scholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently...
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, and track & field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. In football, as a senior, he won first team All-Conference honors and was named the team MVP.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
After being declared ineligible for his senior season at Fort Valley State in 2000, Harper signed with the Hamilton Tiger-CatsHamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
and appeared in 18 games for the team.
Indianapolis Colts
Harper signed with the Indianapolis ColtsIndianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
on January 16, 2001.
In the divisional championship round of the 2005 playoffs, and with less than one and a half minutes of play remaining, the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
received the ball back on downs from the Indianapolis Colts and were left a first down and goal situation, leading 21-18. Pittsburgh's veteran running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Jerome Bettis
Jerome Bettis
Jerome Abram "The Bus" Bettis is a retired American football halfback who played for the NFL's Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers. Bettis is considered one of the best big backs ever because his footwork and power, and is currently fifth on the National Football League's all-time...
(who had not fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
d during the regular season) tried to power his way in for the score, but the ball popped out when 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...
Gary Brackett
Gary Brackett
Gary Lawrence Brackett is an American football linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Rutgers.-Early years:Brackett attended Glassboro High School in Glassboro, New Jersey....
hit the ball with his helmet. Immediately, Harper, picked up the ball and headed for the Steelers' end zone
End zone
In gridiron-based codes of football, the end zone refers to the scoring area on the field. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field...
with several blockers
Blocking (American football)
In American football, blocking is a legal move occurring when one player obstructs another player's path with his body. The purpose of blocking is to prevent defensive players tackling the ball carrier, or to protect the quarterback while attempting to pass or hand-off the ball...
around him. It appeared as if Harper would take the football all of the way for a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
, robbing Pittsburgh of their victory. As Harper was running down the field, Steelers quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
, who had been turned completely around several times desperately trying to stay in front of the speedy Harper, managed to get hold of Harper's right shin and slow him down enough for several other Steelers to catch up and bring him down at the Colts' 42-yard line.
After the play, the Colts offense drove down the field in an attempt to score a touchdown. The Colts were forced to settle for a 46-yard field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
attempt to tie the game. However, kicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
Mike Vanderjagt
Mike Vanderjagt
Michael John "Mike" Vanderjagt , is a professional American and Canadian football placekicker and punter who has played in the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League and National Football League...
, who had succeeded in all of his kicks in home games, missed the field goal as it traveled wide-right. The Steelers managed to hold on and win the game 21-18 and proceeded to the AFC Championship game.
The Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
won Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
win following the 2006 season
2006 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2006 Indianapolis Colts season was the 54th season for the team in the National Football League and 23rd in Indianapolis. The 2006 Colts season began with the team trying to maintain or improve on their regular season record of 14–2 from the 2005 season, and advance farther into the playoffs....
, giving Harper his first Super Bowl ring
Super Bowl ring
The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the winners of the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl...
.
Tennessee Titans
Before the 2007 season2007 Tennessee Titans season
The 2007 Tennessee Titans season was the 48th season for the team in the National Football League, and their eleventh in Tennessee. They entered the season in an attempt to improve on their 8–8 record from 2006, along with attempting to make the playoffs for the first time since...
, Harper signed a 3-year deal with the Tennessee Titans as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. 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.
In 2008, Harper finished second on the team with 17 passes defensed.
Personal
Harper is married to Danielle, couple splits time between Nashville and Indianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
with their three sons, Nicholas, Darius and Eric. After his professional football career, Harper will dedicate his time coaching his sons, Harper says that his two oldest sons Nicholas and Darius already have a deep passion for football and they even watch game film with him at home.
Harper and Titans running backs coach Earnest Byner
Earnest Byner
Earnest Alexander Byner is a former American football running back in the National Football League and is currently a running backs coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars...
share the same hometown, following the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
Super Bowl XXVI
Super Bowl XXVI
Super Bowl XXVI was an American football game played on January 26, 1992 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota to decide the National Football League champion following the 1991 regular season...
win, Harper went to the victory parade and heard Byner speak in Milledgeville
Milledgeville, Georgia
Milledgeville is a city in and the county seat of Baldwin County in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is northeast of Macon, located just before Eatonton on the way to Athens along U.S. Highway 441, and it is located on the Oconee River. The relatively rapid current of the Oconee here made this an...
.