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Najee Harris

Summary

Najee Jerome Harris (/ˈnɑːdʒi/ NAH-jee;[1] born March 9, 1998) is an American football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama and was selected by the Steelers in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft.

Najee Harris
refer to caption
Harris in 2020
No. 22 – Pittsburgh Steelers
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1998-03-09) March 9, 1998 (age 26)
Martinez, California, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:242 lb (110 kg)
Career information
High school:Antioch (Antioch, California)
College:Alabama (2017–2020)
NFL draft:2021 / Round: 1 / Pick: 24
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2023
Rushing yards:3,269
Rushing average:3.9
Rushing touchdowns:22
Receptions:144
Receiving yards:866
Receiving touchdowns:6
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Early years edit

Harris is from the San Francisco Bay Area. One of five children of a single mother, he grew up in several troubled neighborhoods, including time in a homeless shelter when he was in middle school before the family moved to Antioch.[2]

Harris played high school football at Antioch High School in Antioch, California.[3] As a sophomore in 2014, Harris rushed for 2,263 yards with 23 touchdowns.[4][5] As a junior he had 2,744 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns.[6] As a senior, he had 2,776 rushing yards and 34 touchdowns.[7]

High school statistics edit

Year Games Rushing
Attempts Yards TD
2013 5 33 165 1
2014 11 271 2,263 23
2015 12 243 2,744 36
2016 13 291 2,776 34
Total 41 838 7,948 94

Recruiting edit

Harris was considered the #1 recruit in the class of 2017, by Scout and Rivals. 247Sports rated him as the No. 2 overall recruit behind Jaelan Phillips while ESPN ranked him the No. 11 overall recruit.[8] Harris received offers from multiple top football programs including the Alabama Crimson Tide, Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Buckeyes, USC Trojans, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2015. Harris was one of the most hyped running back recruits since Bryce Brown in 2009 and Leonard Fournette in 2014. Multiple recruiting experts compared him to Adrian Peterson.[9]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Najee Harris
RB 		Antioch, CA Antioch (CA) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 226 lb (103 kg) Apr 18, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 93
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 1 (RB); 1 (West); 1 (Cal)   Rivals: 1 (RB); 1 (Natl); 1 (Cal)  247Sports: 1 (Natl); 1 (RB); 1 (Cal)  ESPN: 1 (RB); 1 (West); 1 (Cal)
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Alabama Football Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  • "2017 Alabama Football Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  • "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  • "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 13, 2016.

College career edit

Harris played for the University of Alabama from 2017 to 2020 under head coach Nick Saban.[10]

2017 season edit

As a freshman, Harris played in all 14 games but had limited carries as players like Damien Harris, Bo Scarbrough, and Josh Jacobs handled the main workload.[11] Harris finished the season with 370 yards on 61 carries averaging 6.1 yards per carry. He scored three rushing touchdowns on the season.[12] In the national championship against Georgia, Harris had six carries for 64 rushing yards in the 26–23 victory.[13][14][15]

2018 season edit

In his sophomore season, Harris was third running back behind Damien Harris and Josh Jacobs.[16] Harris started the season with a rushing touchdown in four of the first five games but did not find the endzone the rest of the season.[17] Harris had his best game against Arkansas State, carrying the ball 13 times and gaining a career-high 135 yards.[18] Harris played in 15 games, recording 783 yards on 117 carries and scoring four rushing touchdowns.[17]

2019 season edit

 
Harris playing against South Carolina in 2019

With Damien Harris and Josh Jacobs off to the NFL, Harris became the starting running back for Alabama Crimson Tide.[19] He and Brian Robinson Jr. largely dominated the backfield production for the Crimson Tide.[20] On September 14, Harris had two receiving touchdowns in the 47–23 victory over South Carolina.[21] On October 19, against Tennessee in the Third Saturday in October, he had 21 carries for 105 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 35–13 victory.[22] On November 9, against LSU, he had 19 carries for 146 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, and one receiving touchdown in the 46–41 loss.[23] In the following game at Mississippi State, Harris had four total touchdowns in the 38–7 victory.[24] In the Iron Bowl against Auburn, Harris had 27 carries for 146 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown in the 48–45 loss.[25] Alabama finished with a 10–2 record and qualified for the Citrus Bowl.[26] In the Citrus Bowl, Harris had 24 carries for 136 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 35–16 victory over Michigan.[27] In the 2019 season, Harris had 209 carries for 1,224 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns while catching 27 passes for 304 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns.[28] Despite speculation that he would declare for the 2020 NFL draft, Harris announced that he would return to Alabama for his senior year.[29]

2020 season edit

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Alabama's season was cut to an all-conference, ten-game season beginning on September 26.[30] In 2020, Harris was the starting running back for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He and Robinson continued to have a large majority of the backfield carries.[31] In the regular season opener against the Missouri Tigers, Harris had 17 attempts for 98 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in the 38–19 victory.[32] His best game of the season was against Ole Miss, where he attempted 23 rushes for 206 rushing yards with five rushing touchdowns in the 63–48 victory.[33] Against the Georgia Bulldogs he ran for 31 attempts with 152 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown and 4.9 yards on average in the 41–24 victory.[34] In the following game against Tennessee, he had 157 scrimmage yards and three rushing touchdowns in the 48–17 victory.[35] On December 5, against LSU, he had 21 carries for 145 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 55–17 victory.[36] In the SEC Championship, he had 245 scrimmage yards (178 rushing, 67 receiving) and five total touchdowns in the 52–46 victory.[37] He finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting.[38][39] Alabama went 11–0 and qualified for the College Football Playoff as the #1 seed.[40][41] In the Semifinals, the Rose Bowl against Notre Dame, Harris had 15 carries for 125 rushing yards in the 31–14 victory.[42] In the national championship, Harris had 158 scrimmage yards and three total touchdowns in the 52–24 victory over Ohio State to earn his second national championship.[43] Harris finished his career as the all-time leader in rushing yards (3,843), total scrimmage yards (4,624) and touchdowns (57) for the Crimson Tide. He was a unanimous All-American and won the Doak Walker Award.[44][45]

College statistics edit

Legend
CFP national champion
Led the NCAA
Bold Career high

College statistics edit

Alabama Crimson Tide
Season Team GP Rushing Receiving Scrimmage
Att Yds Avg TD Rec Yds Avg TD Touch Yds Avg TD
2017 Alabama 10 61 370 6.1 3 6 45 7.5 0 67 415 6.2 4
2018 Alabama 15 117 783 6.7 4 4 7 1.8 0 121 790 6.5 4
2019 Alabama 13 209 1,224 5.9 13 27 304 11.3 7 236 1,528 6.5 20
2020 Alabama 13 251 1,466 5.8 26 43 425 9.9 4 294 1,891 6.4 30
Career 51 638 3,843 6.0 46 80 781 9.8 11 718 4,624 6.4 58

Professional career edit

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span
6 ft 1+3⁄8 in
(1.86 m) 		232 lb
(105 kg) 		33+1⁄4 in
(0.84 m) 		10+1⁄4 in
(0.26 m)
All values from Pro Day[46][47][48]

2021 season edit

 
Harris in 2021

Harris was selected in the first round with the 24th overall in the 2021 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.[49] He was the first running back selected.[50] On May 25, 2021, Harris signed his rookie contract with the Steelers, worth $13.1 million including a $6.9 million signing bonus over four years.[51]

In Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Harris recorded 142 all purpose yards, including 14 catches in 19 targets. This tied the NFL record for most catches in a game for a rookie running back, and were the second-highest amount of targets for a running back since 1992 (when the data was first tracked).[52] In Week 5 against the Denver Broncos, Harris recorded 122 yards on 23 carries and a rushing touchdown in the 27–19 win.[53] It marked his first game rushing over 100 yards. He became the first Steelers' rookie to score a rushing touchdown and record 100 yards rushing on his first five games, since Franco Harris in 1972.[54] In Week 17, Harris ran for a career-high 188 yards and the game-sealing touchdown in a 26–14 win over the Cleveland Browns.[55]

Harris finished his rookie season with 1,200 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, and 74 catches for 467 yards and three touchdowns.[56] He finished fourth in rushing yards, fourth in all-purpose yards, and led all running backs in receptions.[57] His 381 touches led the NFL and had zero fumbles.[58] He was selected as an alternate for the 2022 Pro Bowl, replacing Bengals running back Joe Mixon.[59] He was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team.[60]

2022 season edit

Harris got off to a slow start in 2022. Through the first eight games of the season, he only managed to eclipse 50 rushing yards three times and scored three total touchdowns. It brought into question whether the Lisfranc sprain he suffered in training camp was affecting his production, although Harris claimed that was not the case.[61][62] Following the team's bye week, he would go on to rush for more than 50 yards in seven of the last nine games and score seven total touchdowns.[63] His best game of the season came in a Week 17 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. Harris rushed for a season high 111 yards and caught the game winning touchdown from rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett with less than a minute to play.[64]

He finished the 2022 season with 272 carries for 1,038 yards, seven rushing touchdowns, and 41 receptions for 229 yards and three receiving touchdowns.[63] This made Harris the first Steelers player to rush for 1,000 yards in their 1st two seasons[65]

NFL career statistics edit

Legend
Bold Career high

Regular season edit

Year Team Games Rushing Receiving Fumbles
GP GS Att Yds Y/A Lng TD Rec Yds Y/R Lng TD Fum Lost
2021 PIT 17 17 307 1,200 3.9 37 7 74 467 6.3 25 3 0 0
2022 PIT 17 17 272 1,034 3.8 36 7 41 229 5.6 19 3 3 2
2023 PIT 17 17 255 1,035 4.1 25 8 29 170 5.9 32 0 2 1
Career 51 51 834 3,269 3.9 37 22 144 866 6.0 32 6 5 3

Postseason edit

Year Team Games Rushing Receiving Fumbles
GP GS Att Yds Y/A Lng TD Rec Yds Y/R Lng TD Fum Lost
2021 PIT 1 1 12 29 2.4 8 0 2 −1 −0.5 0 0 1 1
2023 PIT 1 1 12 37 3.1 11 0 2 15 7.5 10 0 0 0
Career 2 2 24 66 2.8 11 0 4 14 3.5 10 0 1 1

Personal life edit

Harris graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in Consumer Services in 2020.[66] During his last college football season, Harris began celebrating touchdowns by striking the iconic World Cup pose of Megan Rapinoe. He mentioned finding Rapinoe's views on feminism and standing for her beliefs as "motivating" and "inspirational".[67]

In January 2019, Harris signed with Beast Mode Marketing, the marketing agency of former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch.[68]

On the day of the 2021 NFL draft, Harris declined the invitation to the event in Cleveland, Ohio, opting instead to host a party for the kids served at Greater Richmond Interfaith Program, the homeless shelter he spent his childhood at. He later gathered with family and friends to watch the draft at a restaurant owned by Marshawn Lynch, in Emeryville, California.[69]

In 2021, Harris founded the nonprofit organization Da' Bigger Picture Foundation along with assistance from California governor Gavin Newsome, which provides assistance to families impacted by homelessness and hunger. [70]

References edit

  1. ^ "Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide" (PDF) (2023 ed.). Pittsburgh Steelers. Retrieved January 11, 2024 – via NFL.com.
  2. ^ Kroichik, Ron (April 29, 2021) [April 25, 2021]. "Najee Harris once was homeless. Now, he's an NFL first-round pick". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  3. ^ Kroichick, Ron (November 28, 2015). "Antioch's Najee Harris has run into national spotlight". SFGate (San Francisco Chronicle). Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  4. ^ "Top-ranked Antioch football player's future is bright". East Bay Times. August 25, 2015. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  5. ^ Johnson, Luke (October 1, 2015) [September 22, 2015]. "Antioch High School's Najee Harris leading team to new heights". The Press. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  6. ^ Kroichick, Ron (August 28, 2016). "The Najee Chronicles". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  7. ^ "Najee Harris". 247Sports. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  8. ^ "2017 ESPN 300". ESPN. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  9. ^ Donohue, Tyler (January 24, 2017). "College Football's Next Big Thing: 2017 No. 1 Overall Recruit Najee Harris". Bleacher Report. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  10. ^ Marczi, Matthew (August 19, 2022). "Najee Harris Explains How Man-To-Man Conversation With Nick Saban Led To 'Rock Solid' Relationship After Years Of Bumping Heads". Steelers Depot. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  11. ^ "2017 Alabama Crimson Tide Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  12. ^ "Najee Harris 2017 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  13. ^ "College Football Championship - Alabama vs Georgia Box Score, January 8, 2018". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  14. ^ Inabinett, Mark (January 10, 2022). "CFP national championship game by the numbers". AL.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  15. ^ "Alabama stuns Georgia in overtime, wins national football title, 26-23". www.cbsnews.com. January 9, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  16. ^ "2018 Alabama Crimson Tide Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  17. ^ a b "Najee Harris 2018 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  18. ^ "Arkansas State at Alabama Box Score, September 8, 2018". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  19. ^ Zenor, John (August 20, 2019). "Najee Harris finally gets to be Alabama's primary runner". yahoo.com. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  20. ^ "2019 Alabama Crimson Tide Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  21. ^ "Alabama at South Carolina Box Score, September 14, 2019". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  22. ^ "Tennessee at Alabama Box Score, October 19, 2019". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  23. ^ "LSU at Alabama Box Score, November 9, 2019". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  24. ^ "Alabama at Mississippi State Box Score, November 16, 2019". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  25. ^ "Alabama at Auburn Box Score, November 30, 2019". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  26. ^ "2019 Alabama Crimson Tide Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  27. ^ "Citrus Bowl - Michigan vs Alabama Box Score, January 1, 2020". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  28. ^ "Najee Harris 2019 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  29. ^ Kercheval, Ben (January 15, 2020). "Alabama star RB Najee Harris decides to return to school in 2020, holding off NFL Draft". CBS Sports. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  30. ^ Silverstein, Adam (July 30, 2020). "SEC football schedule 2020: 10-game, conference-only slate begins Sept. 26 with two open dates". CBSSports.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  31. ^ "2020 Alabama Crimson Tide Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  32. ^ "Alabama at Missouri Box Score, September 26, 2020". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  33. ^ "Alabama at Ole Miss Box Score, October 10, 2020". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  34. ^ "Georgia at Alabama Box Score, October 17, 2020". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  35. ^ "Alabama at Tennessee Box Score, October 24, 2020". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  36. ^ "Alabama at LSU Box Score, December 5, 2020". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  37. ^ "Alabama vs Florida Box Score, December 19, 2020". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  38. ^ Casagrande, Michael (December 25, 2020). "Alabama has 2 Heisman finalists, Najee Harris 5th in voting". AL.com. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  39. ^ "Najee Harris 2020 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  40. ^ "2020 Alabama Crimson Tide Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  41. ^ "2020 Polls". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  42. ^ "Rose Bowl - Notre Dame vs Alabama Box Score, January 1, 2021". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  43. ^ "College Football Championship - Ohio State vs Alabama Box Score, January 11, 2021". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  44. ^ "Consensus All-America Teams (2020-2020)". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  45. ^ "Doak Walker Award Winners". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  46. ^ "Najee Harris Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  47. ^ "Najee Harris, Alabama, RB, 2021 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  48. ^ "Najee Harris 2021 NFL Draft Profile". insider.espn.com. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  49. ^ Varley, Teresa (April 30, 2021). "Steelers select Najee Harris in first round". Steelers.com. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  50. ^ "2021 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  51. ^ Druin, Donnie (May 25, 2021). "Najee Harris Signs Rookie Contract With Steelers". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  52. ^ Pryor, Brooke (September 29, 2021). "Why big receiving games for Steelers' Najee Harris likely won't be the norm". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  53. ^ "Denver Broncos at Pittsburgh Steelers – October 10th, 2021". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  54. ^ Pryor, Brooke (October 10, 2021). "Steelers' offensive line leads way to big games for Najee Harris, Ben Roethlisberger". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  55. ^ "Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers – January 3rd, 2022". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  56. ^ "Najee Harris 2021 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  57. ^ "2021 NFL Rushing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  58. ^ "2021 NFL Scrimmage Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  59. ^ "2021 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  60. ^ "2021 NFL All-Rookie Team". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  61. ^ Jaggi, Tommy (November 9, 2022). "Steelers RB Najee Harris claims foot injury did not affect him at all this year". Still Curtain. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  62. ^ Edholm, Eric (August 29, 2022). "Steelers RB Najee Harris sustained Lisfranc injury in camp, but remains on track to start Week 1". NFL.com. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  63. ^ a b "Najee Harris 2022 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  64. ^ Suggs, David (January 2, 2023). "Najee Harris did way more than just post his first 100-yard rushing game of the season in Steelers win vs. Ravens". Sporting News. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  65. ^ Marczi, Matthew (January 8, 2023). "Najee Harris Becomes 1st Player In Team History With 1000 Rushing Yards In 1st Two Seasons". Steelers Depot. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  66. ^ Karle, Rick (January 12, 2021). "Najee Harris' mom says experience at Alabama has been life-changing". WVTM. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  67. ^ Reed, Tom (May 6, 2021). "Najee Harris lived amid 'two blocks of hell.' He trained in the dark. He dodged trouble like he did defenders. And now, it's all daylight". dkpittsburghsports.com. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  68. ^ Wisniewski, Lindsey (January 19, 2021). "Najee Harris goes Beast Mode, signs with Marshawn Lynch's marketing agency". nbcsports.com. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  69. ^ Nakano, Andrea (April 29, 2021). "Bay Area Football Phenom Najee Harris Drafted by Steelers". sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  70. ^ Snarr, Peter (June 25, 2021). "Bay Area native Najee Harris advocates for homeless with Newsom". kron4.com. Retrieved October 13, 2021.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Najee Harris.
  • Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · ESPN · Pro Football Reference
  • Alabama Crimson Tide bio
  • Pittsburgh Steelers bio

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