Tommie Harris

Tommie Harris Jr. (born April 29, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Oklahoma, and was recognized as a consensus All-American twice. The Chicago Bears chose him in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft, and he also played a season for the San Diego Chargers. He was a three-time Pro Bowl selection.

Early life

Harris was born in Nuremberg, Germany, where his father, Tommie Sr, was stationed as a United States Army drill sergeant. Harris and his family relocated often due to Tommie Sr's role in the Army before finally settling in Killeen, Texas. Harris' father became a Pentecostal minister, while his mother, Janine, worked as a special education teacher. Harris was raised in a devout Christian household alongside his four sisters.

He attended Ellison High School in Killeen. As a member of the Ellison Eagles, Harris became one of the nation's top defensive high school prospects, including being ranked as the No. 35 high school prospect in the nation by recruiting analyst Tom Lemming. During the 1998 football season, he was a back-up defensive tackle in his sophomore year for the Eagles who were ranked No. 1 in the state of Texas and No. 13 in the nation. He was also a member of Ellison's track and field team, where he participated in the shot put.

College career

While attending the University of Oklahoma, Harris played for coach Bob Stoops's Oklahoma Sooners football team from 2001 to 2003. He is one of the very few players in OU history to start every game of his true freshman season. He was a two-time All-Big 12 selection, and was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American in 2002 and a unanimous first-team All-American in 2003. In his junior and final season as a Sooner, Harris won the Lombardi Award as the nation's best lineman in 2003. He was named to the ''Sports Illustrated'' All-Decade Team in 2009.

Professional career

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears selected Harris in the first round, 14th overall, in the 2004 NFL draft. Harris, a 3-technique defensive tackle, complimented Lovie Smith's Cover 2 defense, which relied on mobile lineman to penetrate the line of scrimmage. Smith compared Harris to Warren Sapp, whom he coached during his tenure with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Harris appeared in all 16 games for the Bears during the 2004 NFL season, where he recorded 44 combined tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. He finished second in balloting for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

In , Harris was selected for the 2006 Pro Bowl.

Harris enjoyed an excellent start to the season, leading the league with five sacks after four games. He was instrumental in a week 3 victory over the Vikings, disrupting a handoff in the Vikings backfield and forcing a fumble, which allowed the Bears to score the game-winning touchdown. Harris was awarded the NFC's "Defensive Player of the Week" award twice in three weeks. Harris suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in the Bears' Week 13 victory against the Vikings. Harris was selected to play in the 2007 Pro Bowl.

Harris missed the first three games of the preseason while recovering from his hamstring injury. He played in the Bears' season opener against the San Diego Chargers and forced a fumble. He appeared in all 16 games for the Bears, finishing the 2007 campaign with two forced fumbles and a career high eight sacks. Harris was selected to his third consecutive Pro Bowl, but did not attend due a knee injury.

One June 19, 2008, Harris signed a four-year contract extension with the Bears worth $40 million, which made him the highest paid defensive tackle in the NFL. The incentive-laden contract would award Harris $8.5 million if he was selected to the Pro Bowls in 2008, 2009, and 2010, while also including an additional $2 million bonus based on performance. $17 million of the contract was guaranteed. Harris missed the Bears week four game against the Philadelphia Eagles due to a knee injury. The Bears suspended Harris for their following game against the Detroit Lions for missing scheduled treatments to rehabilitate his knee without a proper excuse. Harris appeared in 14 games for the Bears, tallying 37 tackles and 4 sacks.

Harris' role with the Bears decreased after he re-injured his knee during week 6 of the season. Harris never fully recovered from the injury. On November 8, Harris was ejected just 65 seconds into the first quarter in a game against the Arizona Cardinals for punching guard Deuce Lutui in the face. He later apologized for the incident.

In , Harris was benched after the second week of the season. Head coach Lovie Smith stated, "We have 45 guys that you can go with; we have everybody healthy right now. Just felt like we wanted to get a look at Marcus Harrison, him and Henry Melton inside, a little bit. Just performance based. Tommie's been doing everything we've asked him to do." The same week, former defensive tackle Warren Sapp criticized Harris, comparing him to "blind dog in a meat house." Harris struggled to retain his starting position throughout the season. He recorded his only sack of the season in week 17 against the Green Bay Packers. He finished the season with only 13 tackles and 1.5 sacks, his lowest during his time in Chicago.

The Bears released Harris after the season on February 28, 2011. Harris concluded his seven-year tenure with the Bears with 213 tackles, 28.5 sacks, and 5 forced fumbles in 104 games.

Indianapolis Colts

On August 2, 2011, Harris signed a one-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts, but was released on September 3.

San Diego Chargers

Harris signed with the San Diego Chargers on September 28, 2011 to reinforce the team's defensive line following injuries to Luis Castillo and Jacques Cesaire. He appeared in 13 games for the Chargers where he recorded 12 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

Retirement

Tommie Harris retired from football in 2012 to raise his children following his wife's unexpected death.

NFL career statistics

Post-retirement

Harris was the co-owner of the Texas Outlaws of the Fall Experimental Football League along with fellow NFL alum Eric Bassey. Harris donated $165,000 to pay for new equipment in the Lions Club Park Family Recreation and Senior Center in Killeen, Texas. The facility's recreation center was named after him to honor his donation.

Personal

Harris was mentored by NFL Hall of Famer Reggie White, whose influence significantly shaped his life and playing career. Harris remained close with the White family even after his death in 2004.

Harris married his wife, Ashley, in January 2012 and the couple had two children together. In February 2012, Ashley suddenly died of a brain aneurysm while undergoing a routine medical procedure. In 2016, Harris' daughter died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. In 2017, his agent, William G. Horn, was revealed to be stealing money from Harris' charity and using it for personal expenses, including entertainment and traveling. Horn was sentenced to 15 months in prison. In 2020, Harris' father, Tommie Sr., died following a one-year struggle with kidney failure. Harris published a book about coping with his personal struggles, titled ''Endure: Playing Through Life's Hardest Hits'' in 2021.

Legal troubles

Harris was arrested in Chicago and charged with indecent exposure, urinating in public and simple assault for threatening a police officer in 2012. He was arrested for trespassing in 2022 after refusing to leave the Omni Hotel in Oklahoma City.

References

External links

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San Diego Chargers bio

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Tommie
1983 births
Living people
All-American college football players
American football defensive tackles
Chicago Bears players
Indianapolis Colts players
National Conference Pro Bowl players
Oklahoma Sooners football players
Players of American football from Killeen, Texas
San Diego Chargers players
21st-century African-American sportsmen
20th-century African-American sportsmen
20th-century American sportsmen
Brian Piccolo Award winners