Roderick World Harris (born November 14, 1966) is an American former 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 ...

wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...

in 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) for 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 ...

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

, and

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 ...

. He also was a member of the Sacramento Gold Miners, Shreveport Pirates,

Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in 19 ...

and

BC Lions The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division (CFL), West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place. The Lions playe ...

in 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). 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 ...

Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...

Early life

Harris attended David W. Carter High School. He lettered in football, track, swimming and golf. He accepted a football scholarship from

. As a sophomore in 1986, he became a starter at

, registering 21 receptions for 326 yards and 2 touchdowns. As a junior in 1987, he returned punts for touchdowns in consecutive games, becoming the second player in school history, to have two punt returns for touchdowns in a season. As a senior in 1988, he posted 37 receptions (led the team), 592 receiving yards (led the team) and one receiving touchdown (tied for the team lead). He finished his college career with school records for punt returns (116), punt return yards (971), kickoff returns (59) and kickoff return yards (1,209).

Professional career

Houston Oilers

Harris was selected by the

Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston, Texas, from its founding in 1960 Houston Oilers season, 1960 to 1996 Houston Oilers season, 1996. The Houston Oilers began play as a charter member of the Ame ...

in the 4th round (104th overall) of the

1989 NFL draft The 1989 NFL draft (also known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting) was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft was held April 23–24, 1989, at the Marriott Marquis in Ne ...

. He was released before the start of the season on September 4.

New Orleans Saints

On September 6, 1989, he was signed to the

' developmental squad. He was promoted to the active roster the week before the sixth game of the season. He appeared in 11 games, while returning 27 punts for 196 yards and 19 kickoffs for 378 yards. He tied the franchise single-game record for punt returns in a game, with six against 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 ...

Dallas Cowboys

On February 28,

1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...

, the

signed Harris as a Plan B free agent. He reunited with

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 ...

coordinator Joe Avezzano, who was his college

offensive coordinator An offensive coordinator (OC) is a Coach (sport), coach responsible for a gridiron football team's offense (American football), offense. Generally, the offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator represent the second ...

. He appeared in 8 games, making 12 punt returns for 63 yards. He pulled a groin muscle in the eighth game against the

. He was released in November.

Philadelphia Eagles

On November 30, 1990, he was claimed off waivers by the

. He had 16 punt returns for 151 yards and one kickoff return for 44 yards. In 1991, he appeared in 16 games, while making 2 receptions for 28 yards, 53 punt returns for 416 yards and 28 kickoff returns for 473 yards.

Sacramento Gold Miners

In 1993, he formed a potent combination with

quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...

David Archer, posting 90 receptions for 1,379 yards, 7 receiving touchdowns and one punt return for 24 yards. In 1994, he had 86 receptions for 1,280 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns, 89 punt returns for 869 yards, one touchdown return and one kickoff return for 31 yards.

Shreveport Pirates

In 1995, he had 8 receptions for 95 yards, 11 punt returns for 81 yards and one kickoff return for 31 yards.

Saskatchewan Roughriders

In 1996, he had 58 receptions for 655 yards, 41 punt returns for 595 yards, one touchdown return and 21 kickoff returns and 417 yards. In 1997, he had 47 receptions for 703 yards and 3 touchdowns, 27 punt returns for 215 yards, one touchdown return and 18 kickoff returns for 311 yards.

BC Lions

In 1998, he had 48 receptions for 799 yards (16.6-yard avg.) and 5 touchdowns, 38 punt returns for 417 yards and 40 kickoff returns for 914 yards. In 1999, he had 30 receptions for 502 yards (16.7-yard avg.) and 3 touchdowns, 6 punt returns for 16 yards and 18 kickoff returns for 300 yards.

Personal life

His son De'Vante Harris played

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

and

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 ...

in the NFL.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Rod 1966 births Living people American football wide receivers BC Lions players Canadian football wide receivers Dallas Cowboys players New Orleans Saints players Philadelphia Eagles players Players of American football from Dallas Players of Canadian football from Dallas Sacramento Gold Miners players Saskatchewan Roughriders players Shreveport Pirates players Texas A&M Aggies football players