Montel Lamar Harris (born October 30, 1989) is an
American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...
. 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 ...
for the
Boston College Eagles
The Boston College Eagles are the athletic teams that represent Boston College, located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level ( Football Bowl Subdivis ...
and
Temple Owls
The Temple Owls are the college athletics, athletic teams that represent Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The current athletic director is Arthur Johnson (athletic director), Arthur Johnson.
The owl has been the symbol and masco ...
.
Early life
Harris played Pop Warner football for the Normandy Cowboys, until his middle school years. Harris attended
Trinity Christian Academy in
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...
along with
tailback Jamie Harper
Jamie Harper (born September 11, 1989) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL draft. He played ...
. In high school, Harris gained 4,000 yards.
College career
Boston College Eagles
In Harris' freshman year, he combined with teammate Josh Haden to be the second-most prolific all-freshmen backfield in the country. With 900 rushing yards, Harris broke the school's freshman rushing record.
Sophomore year was a breakout year for Harris on the national stage. With 1,457 yards and 14 touchdowns, Harris was an All-ACC selection (Second Team) an SI.com All-American (honorable mention). On October 17, 2009, Harris broke the school's single game rushing records for yards and touchdowns, amassing 264 yards and 5 touchdowns in a victory over the
NC State Wolfpack
The NC State Wolfpack is the nickname of the athletic teams representing North Carolina State University. The Wolfpack competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I (NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subd ...
.
During his junior year, Harris gained 1,243 yards. Harris was injured in the Eagles second last regular season game against the
Virginia Cavaliers
The Virginia Cavaliers, also known as Wahoos or Hoos, are the athletic teams representing the University of Virginia, located in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers compete at the NCAA Division I level ( FBS for football), in the Atlantic Coast C ...
. He missed the rest of the season after undergoing surgery. Harris was an All-ACC selection (First Team).
Heading into his senior year, Harris was named the Preseason ACC Player of the Year. Harris played in only two games; he missed the first three games of the season and re-injured his knee in a loss to
Wake Forest. Prior to the injury, Harris broke the school's rushing record (previously held by Derrick Knight). The school announced that they would be seeking a medical redshirt for Harris, allowing him to play in 2012. On December 16, 2011, Harris' application for a medical redshirt was approved and Harris was scheduled to return to the Eagles in 2012.
As of 2011, Harris had gained 3,735 yards and 27 touchdowns on 787 carries.
On May 1, 2012, Harris was permanently dismissed from the Boston College football team due to a repeated violation of team rules.
Temple Owls
A fifth-year senior, Harris transferred to Temple in the fall of 2012 after receiving a
medical red-shirt for his sixth and final year of eligibility. Harris had a successful final year running for 12 touchdowns and averaging 5.7 yards per carry.
Professional career
In 2013, Harris had a two week tryout with the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
. He signed with 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 ...
on May 29, 2013 but was released two days later.
References
External links
Temple Owls bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Montel
1989 births
Living people
Players of American football from Jacksonville, Florida
American football running backs
Boston College Eagles football players
Temple Owls football players