Wayne Harris
Encyclopedia
Carroll Wayne Harris is a retired American
professional football
player who was a linebacker
for the Calgary Stampeders
of the Canadian Football League
from 1961 through 1972.
from 1957 to 1960. In 1960, he was selected as the outstanding player in the Southwest Conference and played in the Cotton Bowl Classic and the All-American Bowl
. He was nicknamed, "Thumper."
, but went to play in Canadian Football League
instead for 12 years, all with the Calgary Stampeders
. Out of 12 years, he was named all-Western Conference 11 times and all-Canadian nine times, appearing in three Grey Cup
finals: the 56th Grey Cup
of 1968, the 58th Grey Cup
of 1970, and the 59th Grey Cup
of 1971, the latter being the only victory among the three, when he was named Most Valuable Player in the game. In the 1971 CFL season
, thanks to help from tackles John Helton
and Granville Liggins
and safety Larry Robinson, Calgary allowed only 218 points in 16 regular season games, best in the CFL, fewer than any Eastern Conference team playing two fewer games. Harris was fierce but also savvy, so that opponents had a difficult time outmaneuvering him on either pass or run plays. His jersey #55 was retired by the Stampeders in 1973.
, the College Football Hall of Fame
(2004), the Arkansas
Sports Hall of Fame, Arkansas' all-century team for the 20th century, and the Alberta
Sports Hall of Fame. In November, 2006, Harris was voted 9th among the CFL's Top 50 players
of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network The Sports Network
/TSN, no linebacker being ahead of him.
Seen in game 3 of the 1970 Western finals in its entirety
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional 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...
player who was a 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 Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon 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....
from 1961 through 1972.
High school and college
Harris was a high school all-American who played collegiately for University of ArkansasArkansas Razorbacks
The Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the names of college sports teams at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The term Arkansas Razorbacks properly applies to any of the sports teams at the university. The Razorbacks take their name from the feral pig of the same name...
from 1957 to 1960. In 1960, he was selected as the outstanding player in the Southwest Conference and played in the Cotton Bowl Classic and the All-American Bowl
All-American Bowl
The All-American Bowl was an annual postseason college football bowl game played at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama from 1977 to 1990. The game was known as the Hall of Fame Classic from 1977 to 1985....
. He was nicknamed, "Thumper."
CFL
Harris was drafted by the Boston Patriots of the American Football LeagueAmerican Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
, but went to play in 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....
instead for 12 years, all with the Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
. Out of 12 years, he was named all-Western Conference 11 times and all-Canadian nine times, appearing in three Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
finals: the 56th Grey Cup
56th Grey Cup
56th Grey Cup was played November 30, 1968, and the Ottawa Rough Riders defeated the Calgary Stampeders 24 to 21 before 32,655 fans at Toronto's Exhibition Stadium...
of 1968, the 58th Grey Cup
58th Grey Cup
The 58th Grey Cup was played on November 28, 1970 before 32,669 fans at Exhibition Stadium at Toronto. The Montreal Alouettes defeated the Calgary Stampeders 23 to 10...
of 1970, and the 59th Grey Cup
59th Grey Cup
The 59th Grey Cup was played on November 28, 1971, before 34,404 fans at Vancouver's Empire Stadium.The Calgary Stampeders beat the Toronto Argonauts on a slick rain covered field in an extremely close 14 to 11 match.-Box Score:First Quarter...
of 1971, the latter being the only victory among the three, when he was named Most Valuable Player in the game. In the 1971 CFL season
1971 CFL season
The 1971 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the eighteenth season in modern-day Canadian football, although it was officially the fourteenth Canadian Football League season.-CFL News for 1971:...
, thanks to help from tackles John Helton
John Helton
John Helton is a former defensive tackle for the Calgary Stampeders from 1969–1978 and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 1979-1982 of the Canadian Football League.-High school and college:...
and Granville Liggins
Granville Liggins
Granville 'Granny' Liggins was an American football and a Canadian Football League player.-College:At the University of Oklahoma, Liggins was not only a football player, but also a wrestler...
and safety Larry Robinson, Calgary allowed only 218 points in 16 regular season games, best in the CFL, fewer than any Eastern Conference team playing two fewer games. Harris was fierce but also savvy, so that opponents had a difficult time outmaneuvering him on either pass or run plays. His jersey #55 was retired by the Stampeders in 1973.
Awards
Harris was has been inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of FameCanadian Football Hall of Fame
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is an open to the public institution. It includes displays about the Canadian Football League, Canadian university football and Canadian...
, the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
(2004), the Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
Sports Hall of Fame, Arkansas' all-century team for the 20th century, and the Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
Sports Hall of Fame. In November, 2006, Harris was voted 9th among the CFL's Top 50 players
TSN Top 50 CFL Players
The TSN Top 50 CFL Players was a list of the greatest fifty Canadian Football League players, as selected by a panel of sixty former CFL players, then-current and former coaches, executives, and media members in 2006. The panel was assembled by sports television network TSN in partnership with the...
of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network The Sports Network
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
/TSN, no linebacker being ahead of him.
Post-football
Wayne Harris is now a full time physical education teacher, at William Aberhart High School in Calgary, Canada. He also volunteers his football know-how to the school's football teams.Videos
CFL Hall of Fame memberSeen in game 3 of the 1970 Western finals in its entirety