Nick Harris
Encyclopedia
Nicholas John Harris is an American football
punter for the Jacksonville Jaguars
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos
in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at the University of California, Berkeley
where he set the NCAA record for career punting yardage.
He has also played for the Cincinnati Bengals
and Detroit Lions
.
He was also an All-state prep soccer player as well.
at the University of California, Berkeley
, where he averaged 42.3 yards per punt, and his 13,621 total yards was an NCAA record. His 322 career punts is also an NCAA record. In 1999, as a Senior, he had a 44.7 yard average. In 2000, he was consensus All-American.
He had Cal’s fastest 10-yard dash (1.77 seconds) and second-fastest 20-yard shuttle time (4.17). Harris graduated with a bachelor’s degree in American studies and later with a master’s degree in education.
and he established himself as the Lions punter for the remainder of the season. In 2005, he was named the Special Teams MVP by The Detroit Lions Quarterback Club, the official booster club of the Lions. On September 3, 2011, Harris was released by the Detroit Lions
in favor for Ryan Donahue
.
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...
punter for the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
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 Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft
2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...
. 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 the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
where he set the NCAA record for career punting yardage.
He has also played for the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
and Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
.
Early years
Harris attended Westview (Ariz.) High School where he earned National Coaches’ Association All-America honors as a senior with 42.3-yard punting average. He Also earned prep all-state honors as a linebacker and saw action on offense as a receiver and a rusher.He was also an All-state prep soccer player as well.
College
Harris played college footballCollege 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 the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, where he averaged 42.3 yards per punt, and his 13,621 total yards was an NCAA record. His 322 career punts is also an NCAA record. In 1999, as a Senior, he had a 44.7 yard average. In 2000, he was consensus All-American.
He had Cal’s fastest 10-yard dash (1.77 seconds) and second-fastest 20-yard shuttle time (4.17). Harris graduated with a bachelor’s degree in American studies and later with a master’s degree in education.
Denver Broncos
Harris was drafted in the 4th round by the Denver Broncos, where he was later waived.Cincinnati Bengals
In 2001, the Bengals signed him off of waivers. He was released during the 2003 season.Detroit Lions
The Lions signed Harris October 14, 2003 as a replacement for the injured John JettJohn Jett
John Jett is a former American football punter in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions. He played college football for East Carolina University. Jett won two Super Bowl rings with the Cowboys in Super Bowl XXVIII and Super Bowl XXX...
and he established himself as the Lions punter for the remainder of the season. In 2005, he was named the Special Teams MVP by The Detroit Lions Quarterback Club, the official booster club of the Lions. On September 3, 2011, Harris was released by the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
in favor for Ryan Donahue
Ryan Donahue
Ryan Donahue is an American football punter for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was signed by the Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at Iowa.-2011 Season:...
.
Personal
Harris is married to his college sweetheart, Heather. They have four children: a son, Drew; a daughter, Halle; and twin daughters Brooke and Kate. He also has a twin brother, Chris. Harris has been involved in several of the Lions' charity programs and events.2008 season
| Date | Opp | G/S | Punts | Yds | Avg | Net | TB | In20 | Lg | Bl |
| 9/7 | @ Atl | 1/0 | 6 | 255 | 42.5 | 40.0 | 0 | 2 | 52 | 0 |
| 9/14 | GB | 1/0 | 6 | 208 | 34.7 | 34.0 | 0 | 3 | 42 | 0 |
| 9/21 | @ SF | 1/0 | 5 | 239 | 47.8 | 40.2 | 0 | 2 | 57 | 0 |
| 10/5 | CHI | 1/0 | 8 | 336 | 45.8 | 40.3 | 1 | 2 | 51 | 0 |
| 10/12 | @ Min | 1/0 | 9 | 412 | 45.8 | 43.0 | 1 | 4 | 58 | 0 |
| 10/19 | @ Hou | 1/0 | 4 | 189 | 47.3 | 50.3 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 0 |
| 10/26 | WAS | 1/0 | 6 | 263 | 43.8 | 27.3 | 0 | 2 | 50 | 0 |
| 11/2 | @ Chi | 1/0 | 6 | 254 | 42.3 | 35.5 | 1 | 1 | 50 | 0 |
| 11/9 | JAX | 1/0 | 4 | 181 | 45.3 | 39.5 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 0 |
| 11/16 | @ Car | 1/0 | 3 | 116 | 38.7 | 38.0 | 0 | 1 | 49 | 0 |
| 11/23 | TB | 1/0 | 7 | 277 | 39.6 | 26.7 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 0 |
| 11/27 | TEN | 1/0 | 9 | 431 | 47.9 | 40.2 | 1 | 3 | 63 | 0 |
| 12/7 | Min | 1/0 | 2 | 119 | 59.5 | 56.0 | 0 | 1 | 66 | 0 |
| 12/14 | @ Ind | 1/0 | 4 | 193 | 48.3 | 35.8 | 1 | 1 | 54 | 0 |
| 12/21 | NO | 1/0 | 4 | 146 | 37.5 | 35.0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 0 |
| TOTALS | 15/0 | 83 | 4,000 | 44.0 | 38.0 | 5 | 21 | 66 | 0 |
Overall
| Year | Team | G/S | Punts | Yds | Avg | Net | TB | In20 | Lg | Bl |
| 2001 | Cin | 16/0 | 84 | 3372 | 40.1 | 33.9 | 6 | 21 | 57 | 1 |
| 2002 | Cin | 15/0 | 65 | 2608 | 40.1 | 31.4 | 4 | 11 | 57 | 1 |
| 2003 | Cin | 5/0 | 28 | 1084 | 38.7 | 30.0 | 3 | 5 | 53 | 0 |
| Det | 11/0 | 63 | 2531 | 40.2 | 33.1 | 5 | 11 | 51 | 1 | |
| 2004 | Det | 16/0 | 92 | 3765 | 40.9 | 34.2 | 7 | 32 | 60 | 1 |
| 2005 | Det | 16/0 | 84 | 3656 | 43.5 | 36.9 | 2 | 34 | 60 | 0 |
| 2006 | Det | 16/0 | 66 | 2967 | 45.0 | 38.2 | 9 | 18 | 67 | 0 |
| 2007 | Det | 16/0 | 68 | 3010 | 44.3 | 36.4 | 5 | 26 | 58 | 0 |
| TOTALS | 111/0 | 550 | 22993 | 41.8 | 34.6 | 41 | 158 | 67 | 4 |