Cliff Jamaal Harris (born December 12, 1990) is an American former

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

player who was a

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...

for the

Oregon Ducks The Oregon Ducks are the College sports in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon, Eugene. The Ducks compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCA ...

. He was named a consensus

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

as a

kick returner A return specialist or kick returner is a player on the special teams unit of a gridiron football team who specializes in returning punts and kickoffs. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most also play another positio ...

in 2010. He was signed by the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

in 2012.

Early years

Harris attended Edison High School in Fresno, California, where he was a teammate of

T. J. McDonald Timothy "T. J." McDonald, Jr. (born January 26, 1991) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft. He ...

. Regarded as a four-star recruit by ''

Rivals.com Rivals.com (stylized as ''rivals'') is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel. History Rivals.com was found ...

'', Harris was listed as the #7 cornerback prospect in the class of 2009.

College career

Harris attended the University of Oregon, and played for coach

Chip Kelly Charles Edward Kelly (born November 25, 1963) is an American professional American football, football coach who is the offensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He came to prominence as a college foo ...

Oregon Ducks football The Oregon Ducks football program is a college football team for the University of Oregon, located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision, FBS and is a member of the Big Ten Co ...

team from 2009 to 2011. Through the conclusion of the 2010 regular season, he had 33 solo tackles and five interceptions while also leading the nation with four punt return touchdowns and 20 passes defended. Harris was indefinitely suspended from playing after being pulled over in a car by Oregon State Police for traveling 118 miles per hour on Interstate 5 with a suspended license. He had been cited for the same pair of offenses in the recent past on multiple occasions. The trooper could also smell marijuana in the vehicle. When he asked who may currently be in possession of the drug, Harris memorably replied "We smoked it all", though at one point he also implied that someone else in the car, a cousin, was the only person using it. Harris was not charged with reckless driving as the trooper felt the car was under control. Following the indefinite suspension, Harris was dismissed from the Oregon football team December 5, 2011, after a series of traffic-related offenses and a reported citation for possession of marijuana.

Professional career

Philadelphia Eagles

Harris was signed by the

as an

on April 29, 2012. He was released on August 26, 2012.

New York Jets

Harris was signed to a reserve/future contract by the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

on January 4, 2013. He was waived on April 30, 2013 after he and teammate

Claude Davis Claude Davis (born 6 March 1979) is a Jamaican former footballer who played as a defender. He previously played for Hazard United, Preston North End, Sheffield United, Derby County, Crystal Palace, Crawley Town and Rotherham United. He has als ...

were arrested and charged with possession of marijuana.

Personal life

Harris was arrested May 3, 2013, outside a Hillsboro

Buffalo Wild Wings Buffalo Wild Wings (originally Buffalo Wild Wings & Weck, and nicknamed BW3, or BDubs or BWW) is an American casual dining restaurant and sports bar franchise specializing in chicken wings. As of March 2025, there are over 1,300 locations a ...

for domestic harassment. He was seen and heard arguing with his girlfriend in the restaurant and pushing her outside. The woman did not press charges and Harris was released on bail. Days later, Harris was cited for speeding, passing in a no-passing zone, and driving without a license on his way to his court appearance. He told the deputy he was running late for his court appearance, and the deputy called the court to notify them of the situation, allowing extra time. When he did not appear on time for the adjusted appointment, the judge issued a warrant for his arrest. Harris did eventually appear in court, and was arrested upon arrival.

References

External links

Oregon Ducks bioPhiladelphia Eagles bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Cliff 1990 births Living people All-American college football players American football cornerbacks American football return specialists Oregon Ducks football players Players of American football from Fresno, California Philadelphia Eagles players New York Jets players