Erik Harris (born April 2, 1990) is an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...

. He played

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 ...

at California (PA). He has been a member of the

Hamilton Tiger-Cats The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division (CFL), East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home game ...

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...

(CFL), and the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...

Las Vegas Raiders The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Raiders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West ...

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

, and

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

of the NFL. Harris is known for playing many positions, including free and strong safety, halfback (which has an entirely different meaning than the American football halfback),

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 ...

, weakside linebacker and strong-side linebacker.

Early life

Harris was born in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. When Harris was two months old, his parents separated and he moved to

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

with his mother. Harris and his mother moved to Pennsylvania when he was in the fifth grade. He attended New Oxford High School in New Oxford, Pennsylvania. He attended

California University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Western University, California (abbreviated as PennWest California) is a campus of Pennsylvania Western University in California, Pennsylvania, United States. The campus had an enrollment of 2,717 as of fall 2024. Founded in 1852 ...

, playing safety for the Division II California Vulcans football team. In four college seasons, he made 231

tackles Tackle may refer to: * In football: ** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football ** Tackle (gridiron football position) A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent ...

on defense. He was a First-team All-

Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. The conference was originally formed in 1951 as the State Teachers C ...

(PSAC) selection in 2010. He was a Second-team All-PSAC selection in 2011.

Professional career

Pre-draft

Harris was rated the 90th best strong safety in the

2012 NFL draft The 2012 NFL draft was the 77th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players for their rosters. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held ...

by NFLDraftScout.com. Harris was not drafted.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Harris was signed by the

on April 11, 2013. He played in 45 games for Hamilton, making 79 defensive tackles and 27

special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their position. Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...

tackles. He caught a

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...

on offense and recorded three

interceptions In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team bu ...

New Orleans Saints

On February 2, 2016, the

signed Harris to a reserve/future contract after a recommendation by Delvin Breaux, who had played with him while on the Tiger-Cats. Harris agreed to a three-year, $1.62 million contract. Joel Erickson of ''

The Advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. The Advocate, The Advocates or Advocate may also refer to: Magazines * The Advocate (magazine), ''The Advocate'' (magazine), an LGBT magazine based in the United States * ''The Harvard Advocate' ...

'' noted that Harris was a CFL linebacker but that he had the ability to play as an NFL defensive back. After former Saints safety Rafael Bush signed with the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...

, New Orleans announced that Harris would play safety. On October 10, 2016, Harris sustained a torn ACL during practice and was placed on the

injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...

list October 13, 2016. He finished his rookie campaign with one solo tackle in four games. Throughout

training camp A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events ...

in 2017, Harris competed to be the starting free safety against

Vonn Bell Vonn Christian Bell (born December 12, 1994) is an American professional American football, football Safety (gridiron football position), safety. He played college football at Ohio State Buckeyes football, Ohio State and was selected by the New ...

and Rafael Bush after the role was left vacant by the departure of Jairus Byrd. On September 2, 2017, the New Orleans Saints waived Harris.

Oakland / Las Vegas Raiders

2017 season

On September 5, 2017, the

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...

signed Harris to a one-year, $630,000 contract. Harris was initially signed to provide depth after rookie Obi Melifonwu was placed on injured reserve. Head coach

Jack Del Rio Jack Louis Del Rio Jr. (born April 4, 1963) is an American professional football coach and former linebacker who is the head coach of the Paris Musketeers of the European League of Football (ELF). He played college football for the USC Trojans ...

named Harris the primary backup free safety, behind Karl Joseph, to start the 2017 regular season. Harris appeared in 15 games in 2017, primarily on special teams, and finished the season with five combined tackles (four solo).

2018 season

Harris entered training camp as a backup safety and competed to be a primary backup against Obi Melifonwu, Marcus Gilchrist, Shalom Luani, Dallin Leavitt and Tevin Mitchel. Head coach

Jon Gruden Jon David Gruden (born August 17, 1963) is an American football coach and media personality currently employed by Barstool Sports. After beginning his coaching career in the college ranks and working as a position coach and as an offensive co ...

names Harris the primary backup strong safety, behind Karl Joseph, to begin the

2018 NFL season The 2018 NFL season was the 99th season of the National Football League (NFL) and the 53rd of the Super Bowl era. The season began on September 6, 2018, with the NFL Kickoff Game with the defending Super Bowl LII champion 2018 Philadelphia Eag ...

. On October 28, 2018, Harris earned his first career start and recorded a season-high six solo tackles during a 42–28 loss against the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...

. In Week 14, he collected a season-high eight combined tackles (four solo) as the Raiders defeated the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...

24–21. On December 16, 2018, Harris recorded three solo tackles, deflected two passes, and made his first career interception during a 30–16 loss at the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...

. Harris made his first career interception off a pass by Bengals' quarterback Jeff Driskel, that was originally intended for John Ross. Harris made 49 combined tackles (36 solo), seven pass deflections, and two interceptions in 16 games and four starts.

2019 season

On March 8, 2019, the Raiders signed Harris to a two-year, $5 million contract that included $1.07 million guaranteed. Harris entered training camp slated as a backup safety after the Raiders drafted Johnathan Abram in the first round. Head coach

retained Harris as the primary backup strong safety, behind Karl Joseph, to start the season. Harris became the starting free safety in Week 2 after Johnathan Abram was placed on injured reserve after tearing his

rotator cuff The rotator cuff (SITS muscles) is a group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the human shoulder and allow for its extensive range of motion. Of the seven scapulohumeral muscles, four make up the rotator cuff. The four muscles a ...

during the Raiders' season-opening 24–16 victory against the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...

. In Week 2, Harris earned his first career start and recorded two solo tackles during a 28–10 loss against the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

. On September 29, 2019, Harris made seven combined tackles (six solo), a pass deflection, and returned his first career interception for a touchdown during a 31–24 win at the Colts. Harris intercepted a pass attempt by Jacoby Brissett, that was intended for wide receiver Zach Pascal, and returned it for a 30-yard touchdown during the fourth quarter. On November 7, 2019, Harris made one tackle and intercepted two passes by Chargers' quarterback

Philip Rivers Philip Michael Rivers (born December 8, 1981) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers franchise. He played college football for the ...

during a 26–24 victory against the

Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC W ...

on ''

Thursday Night Football ''Thursday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''TNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that broadcast primarily on Thursday nights. Most of the games kick off at 8:15 Eastern Time (8:20 prior to ...

''. Harris intercepted a pass that was intended for tight end Hunter Henry for a 56-yard touchdown during the first quarter. He finished the

2019 NFL season The 2019 NFL season was the 100th season of the National Football League (NFL) and the 54th of the Super Bowl era. The season began on September 5, 2019, with the NFL Kickoff Game, in which the Green Bay Packers defeated the Chicago Bears. T ...

with 68 combined tackles (59 solo), eight pass deflections, three interceptions, and two touchdowns in 16 games and 14 starts.

2020 season

Harris was placed on the reserve/

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

list by the Raiders on December 21, 2020, and activated on January 1, 2021.

Atlanta Falcons

On March 19, 2021, Harris signed a one-year contract with the

. He entered the 2021 season as the Falcons' starting free safety. Harris suffered a torn pectoral in Week 14 and was placed on season-ending injured reserve. He finished the season with 64 tackles and eight passes defensed through 12 starts. On March 25, 2022, Harris re-signed with the Falcons on a one-year contract.

San Francisco 49ers

On November 28, Harris was signed to the

practice squad In gridiron football, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. They serve as extra players during the team's practices, often as part of the scou ...

of the

. He signed a reserve/future contract on February 13, 2024. He was released on August 7.

NFL career statistics

Personal life

Harris is married to Theresa Harris, whom he met in New Oxford High School. They have four children: Ellis, Esme, and twin sons, Isaiah and Elijah, who were born in the summer of 2013.

References

External links

Just Sports StatsNFL Draft ScoutHamilton Tiger-Cats profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Erik Living people 1990 births People from Adams County, Pennsylvania Players of American football from Pennsylvania Players of American football from Los Angeles American football defensive backs Canadian football defensive backs California Vulcans football players Hamilton Tiger-Cats players Atlanta Falcons players New Orleans Saints players Las Vegas Raiders players Oakland Raiders players San Francisco 49ers players Players of Canadian football from Los Angeles