Major Harris Street Dedication in July
The old historic Hill District in the City of Pittsburgh is honoring one if it's beloved native sons, Major Harris, by renaming a street after the All-American, holding the dedication ceremony at the corner of Elmore Street and Bently Drive on Friday July 15 at 3:00 pm.
Harris took home Pittsburgh's High School Football Player of the Year Award, presented by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, following his junior and senior seasons while at Brashear High School. He became a city legend, throwing a 79-yard touchdown pass to beat Indiana High School on the last play of the game, and in the same year, it was noted Pitt head coach Foge Fazie told Harris he would be the next Dan Marino. However, coaching staffs around the country saw the quarterback as a defensive back, including newly hired Pitt head coach Mike Gottfried. So, Harris chose to be the signal caller for Don Nehlen and the West Virginia Mountaineers.
Once dubbed "The Brashear Bullet" by the legendary West Virginia play by play caller Jack Fleming, led WVU to its first ever undefeated season in 1988 as a sophomore and earned ECAC Player of the Year and finished fifth in the Heisman after 1,915 passing yards and 14 touchdowns, while he rushed for 610 yards and 6 touchdowns, totaling 2,348 yards 20 touchdowns for an average of 8.4 yards per touch.
Nov 6, 2021; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Former West Virginia Mountaineers player Major Harris waves to the crowd during a ceremony to retire his No. 9 after the first quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium.
Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Harris increased his numbers as a junior, throwing for 2,058 yards and 17 touchdowns and rushing for 936 yards and six touchdowns. He again was named ECAC Player of the Year and finished higher in the Heisman voting at third.
Harris departed following his junior year for the NFL and did so as one of only two quarterbacks in NCAA Division I history to pass for more than 5,000 yards and rush for more than 2,000 and left as the program's leader in total yards with 7,334 - a record that stood until quarterback Geno Smith broke it as a junior in 2011. Smith currently holds the record with 12,004 total yards.
Harris had his number nine retired at WVU last season.
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