Wayne Harris
| Nickname(s) | Thumper |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: | May 4, 1938 |
| Place of birth: | Hampton, Arkansas |
Career information | |
| Status: | Retired |
| CFL status: | International |
| Position(s): | LB/C |
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Weight: | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| College: | Arkansas |
Organizations | |
| As player: | |
| 1961–1972 | Calgary Stampeders |
Career highlights and awards | |
| CFL All-Star: | 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971 |
| CFL West All-Star: | 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971 |
| Awards: | MVP, 1971 Grey Cup |
| Retired #s: | 55 (Stampeders) |
Career stats | |
Carroll Wayne Harris (born May 4, 1938) is a retired American professional football player who was a linebacker for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League from 1961 through 1972.
High school and college
Harris was a high school all-American who played collegiately for University of Arkansas from 1957 to 1960. In 1960, he was selected as the outstanding player in the Southwest Conference and played in the Cotton Bowl Classic and the All-American Bowl. He was nicknamed "Thumper".
CFL
Harris was drafted by the Boston Patriots of the American Football League, but opted to play in Canadian Football League for 12 years, all with the Calgary Stampeders. He won the Outstanding Lineman Award a record 4 times. He was named all-Western Conference 11 times and all-Canadian 9 times, appearing in 3 Grey Cup finals: the 56th Grey Cup of 1968, the 58th Grey Cup of 1970, and the 59th Grey Cup of 1971, the latter being the only victory, when he was named Most Valuable Player in the game. His jersey #55 was retired by the Stampeders in 1973.
Awards & Legacy
Harris was has been inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, the College Football Hall of Fame (2004), the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, Arkansas' all-century team for the 20th century, and the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. In November 2006, Harris was voted 9th among the CFL's Top 50 players of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network The Sports Network/TSN, no linebacker being ahead of him.
In 2012 in honour of the 100th Grey Cup, Canada Post used his image on a series of commemorative postage stamps. The image was also used on presentation posters and other materials to promote the Grey Cup game and other celebrations associated with the centennial.
Post-football
Wayne Harris is now a full-time physical education teacher, at William Aberhart High School in Calgary, Canada. He also volunteers his football know-how to the school's football teams.
Further reading
- "Retro: Wayne "Thumper" Harris". CFL.ca. 2009-07-26.
Videos
Canadian Football Hall of Fame member Seen in game 3 of the 1970 Western finals in its entirety on YouTube
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