Perry Harrington
Encyclopedia
Perry Donell Harrington (born March 13, 1958 in Bentonia, Mississippi
) is a former American football
running back
in the National Football League
for the Philadelphia Eagles
and St. Louis Cardinals
from 1980
–1985
. He was drafted by the Eagles in the second round of the 1980 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Jackson State.
at Jackson State, where he rushed for 2,132 yards and 26 touchdowns.
in the second round of the 1980 NFL Draft
. In his rookie season, he suffered hamstring and thigh injuries and was limited in games. He started in only one game, playing in all but two. In 1981, head coach Dick Vermeil
expected Harrington to compete for the starting fullback position and occasionally play halfback. However, Harrington broke his leg in the fourth game of the season after starting in every game of the season. In 1982, Harrington again was expected to compete for the starting fullback job with Hubie Oliver
and Leroy Harris
. He started in eight games in 1982, playing in nine. He asked for a trade during the 1983 season after starting in only one game the entire season.
on July 23, 1984 for an conditional draft pick in 1985, but was quickly released in the preseason, nullifying the trade.
On September 21, 1984, Harrington was given a tryout for the Miami Dolphins
, who needed to replace injured running back Andra Franklin
.
in November 1984. He suffered a knee injury during the 1985 season
and was placed on injured reserve
on November 20, 1985.
Bentonia, Mississippi
Bentonia is a town in Yazoo County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 500 at the 2000 census. Some blues scholars maintain that there is a "Bentonia School" of blues singing and guitar-playing, and that "Bentonia-style" is a distinct style of Delta Blues, but Bentonia lies outside the...
) is a former American football
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...
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...
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...
for the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 1980
1980 NFL season
The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League.After the league declined to approve the proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws...
–1985
1985 NFL season
The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:...
. He was drafted by the Eagles in the second round of the 1980 NFL Draft
1980 NFL Draft
The 1980 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 29–30, 1980. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
. 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 Jackson State.
College career
Harrington 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 Jackson State, where he rushed for 2,132 yards and 26 touchdowns.
Philadelphia Eagles
Harrington was drafted by the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the second round of the 1980 NFL Draft
1980 NFL Draft
The 1980 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 29–30, 1980. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
. In his rookie season, he suffered hamstring and thigh injuries and was limited in games. He started in only one game, playing in all but two. In 1981, head coach Dick Vermeil
Dick Vermeil
Richard Albert "Dick" Vermeil is a former American head coach for the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles , St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs...
expected Harrington to compete for the starting fullback position and occasionally play halfback. However, Harrington broke his leg in the fourth game of the season after starting in every game of the season. In 1982, Harrington again was expected to compete for the starting fullback job with Hubie Oliver
Hubie Oliver
Hubie Oliver is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 10th round of the 1981 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona....
and Leroy Harris
Leroy Harris (running back)
-College career:Following a stint at Fort Scott Community College, Harris played two seasons for Arkansas State and was selected All-Southland Conference in both 1975 and 1976. His 1976 season saw him rush for 1046 yards on 150 carries with 12 touchdowns....
. He started in eight games in 1982, playing in nine. He asked for a trade during the 1983 season after starting in only one game the entire season.
Cleveland Browns
Harrington was traded to the Cleveland BrownsCleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on July 23, 1984 for an conditional draft pick in 1985, but was quickly released in the preseason, nullifying the trade.
On September 21, 1984, Harrington was given a tryout for the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, who needed to replace injured running back Andra Franklin
Andra Franklin
Andra Bernard Franklin was an American running back in the National Football League from 1981 to 1984 for the Miami Dolphins. Franklin played collegiately at the University of Nebraska...
.
St. Louis Cardinals
Harrington was signed by the St. Louis CardinalsArizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in November 1984. He suffered a knee injury during the 1985 season
1985 NFL season
The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:...
and was 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 November 20, 1985.
External links
- "Harrington Is Unharried" from Sports IllustratedSports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...