He was ahead of his time....before Michael Vick, Vince Young, and Pat White...there was the Major. Update: Congratulations to Major Marris for being chosen for induction to the College Football Hall of Fame. You earned it !
I see a great leader and playmaker at the QB position but not a great QB. The game has changed to make him more appealing but he wasn't making Mahomes type throws.
I was at Penn State in 1988 and Major Harris whipped our butts. I have no idea how that Mountaineer team didn't win the national championship that year but they faced a really talented Notre Dame in the title game, which beat the juggernaut Miami Hurricanes that season so they were top dogs
Knew Major personally during early years and went through high school together. Really was a funny and humble dude. He was an incredible athlete no matter the sport, just explosive. Lots of great memories.
My All time Favorite QB.I started going to WVU football games in 1988. I was spoiled got to witness both undefeated seasons. He should of won the Heisman in my opinion not 5th.....
Sam, I am no from West Virginia, but I am from South Bend, In and I watched "MAJOR HARRIS" play several times including against us in the Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame and he was the best quarterback in College for two (2) years in a roll! He should have won the Heisman Trophy plain and simple. They couldn't let him play in the NFL because he would have broken every Quarterback Record that they had, and that is "NOT" what they wanted a black Quarterback to do at that time. That's the only reason he didn't get in the NFL!
In '88, I was lucky enough to see the home opener, (eastern michigan? Perhaps?) the Cincinnati game in riverfront and the Notre Dame bowl game (Fiesta Bowl) but the best was seeing WVU beat Syracuse and seal the undefeated regular season. That's the best moment in any sport I've ever seen. And I've been to MLB post season games, NFL playoff game and ncaa men's basketball tournament games. Nothing can top that win, at home, over Syracuse.
aaron walker I dont know man, Pat could sure as hell run and was probably faster than Major. I think Major could throw the deep ball more accurately though.
Oh my gosh Major Harris was the man. Watching NFL and college football as a kid, I had never seen anyone that moved like him. What an athlete!!! What a great run during those years!!!
Thanks for reminding me of what a special talent Major was. WVU has had some pretty good QB's through the years. I was there when Oliver Luck was the guy. Jeff Hostetler was great for us as well and of course, Bulger was awesome. Love Pat White and he is incredible as well, but the best QB I ever saw in the Mounties uniform was this guy...Sad we didn't get to watch him Sundays.
Anyone remember seeing that snippet on ESPN in 1988 where Harris threw a football -- from his knees on the 50-yard line -- through the uprights in the end zone? I can't seem to find it anywhere, but I know I saw it. Stunning.
Grew up in West'By'God. Been to two WVU games my whole life. The "busted play" win over Penn State and the "Victory Lap" win over Syracuse. Country Roads never sounded better. Thanks Major.
As a product of the Brad, Rasheed, Pat era these highlights make me think that Major very well could have been the best scrambling passer I've ever seen. He was just a beast at what he did.
He was AMAZING,I think had he come around a few years later..he would probably have had an NFL career. However,he was never really given a chance to prove what he could do on the next level. At that time,teams were looking for the classic pocket passer.
How can it strictly be about race, when in the very same draft year - 1990 - Heisman winner Andre Ware was the first round selection (#7 overall) of the Lions.
I have never been compelled to leave a comment on any video here on youtube but I had to on this one. I remember watching Major Harris play when I was a kid. He has always been and always will be my favorite college player of all time. Thanks Major for all the great memories.
Major Harris was a 6'1" QB and at the time in the NFL you were considered way to short to play. He left after his junior season and all but sealed ANY chance he had to ever be in the NFL. Had he stayed his senior year, WVU would have most likely played once again for the national championship. Remember that they lost to Notre Dame in the title game and Harris was injured during the game.
Major Harris was before Michael Vick,Vince Young,Pat White and Cam Newton at his time and if he was playing college football today he be a top 10 NFL draft pick.
The great Jack Fleming..ahh..Saturdays spent playing sandlot football with his voice in the background...great times. He put WVU football on the map..the entire state expects them to go undefeated every season it seems..LOL. Yeah,he was an amazing athlete for sure.
I have commented on this video before but just wanted to leave another comment to give a big Congratulations to Major Harris for being chosen for the College Football Hall of Fame. Well Deserved!!!!!!!
before D. Mcnabb, before M. Vick, before R.G.3, or C. Kaepernick there was Major Harris. Bashear High school city champion, Heisman trophy winner up, Pgh, Pa Hill District native....Black Quarterback pioneer( highlights cant lie... #9)
Kai Day He wasn't a QB pioneer at all. Look at Condredge Holloway some 20 years before Harris. And Holloway did his things in the south, at TENNESSEE in early 70s! I think he became the first black QB, or one of the first, the start in the SEC. Doug Williams, Warren moon, etc. Many black QB with NCAA success before Harris. Major Harris was VERY GOOD, but not a pioneer.
Described as having a "Cannon" for an arm.....was a pleasure to have watched him play back in the day...wish he would have just stayed that last year......
The play vs Louisville, at the 1:08 mark, that's the first time I've seen that play since watching it live in cardinal stadium that day... thanks for posting this. Lots of great memories surround the Eers during the Major Harris years.
@buster facts I'm from pittsburgh and I remember him doing this ish in high school for brashear I went to Perry after he graduated and thank God cause we might be a few champions down if we played against him ahead if his time Salutes Major one of the burgh's finest
its taken over 20 years but wvu finally has another major harris type QB in geno smith. smith was nothing but spectactlor in wvu"s improbable comeback win over marshall. if wvu can find future players like slaton, devine, renaud, geno could win a national championship before he leaves wvu. geno was absolutly Awsome and diden"t fold under preassure at marshall. his passing was flawless and that what it takes. he is going to be fun to watch.
He was drafted by the Raiders while they were in Los Angeles but didn't play in a regulsar season game. He played one season for Vancouver up in the CFL, got hurt and was basically done.
No ND won 34-21 and Major Harris got a separated shoulder on the 3rd play of the game which slowed him down. WVU lost but they still made i there and played hard. ND had rocket ismail and Ricky Waters.
He was Mike Vick, a decade earlier. He was just flat out ahead of his time. It's too bad there wasn't a single open-minded, intelligent team in the NFL at the time to utilize his strengths. He would easily be a Vince Young type and caliber player if he was playing in this era.
Major had one flaw he carried the football out in his had like a loaf of bread instead of up next to his body and fumble at times because of that , but speed arm great ,I wish like many he wouldn't have been injured against Notre Dame in the championship game
Exciting and great that Major Harris was. You know before him there wss a guy named RANDALL CUNNINGHAM was who a pro since 1985. I think Renaldo Turnbull was a pretty good too.
Although I think Dantzler was the first to do something like that, however, that feat has been surpassed by Vince Young. He threw for over 3000, and ran for over 1000 in his last year I believe.
When Dantzler was the first, all records and stats only included the regular season (not the case with Vince Young). Woody had 11 games to accomplish 2360 yards passing and 1004 rushing. Vince had 3000 in 14 games. If you were to avg out Woody's stats for 3 more games he would have right around the same exact passing yards and a lot more rushing yards than Vince Young.
We're from Northern VA, gradually moving out of DC. Not a huge family, but Ive heard we were originally from Illinois. Pretty cool! If you have facebook, and are interested, my name is Jacob McNemar. Good way to research the family history a bit. Take care man!
Just think if he would have stayed in school instead of opting for the NFL draft...he may have won the Heisman.....and too bad about him getting hurt early in the Championship game against ND, if not the outcome could have been quite different !!
no they just weren't suited as well as Aikmen for NFL style teams, notice NFL mainly goes for Pro-style passers, most scramblers coming from college are converted, like most smaller runningbacks who dominate college are usually converted to 3rd & long or return only.
You all left out the first QB ever in the NCAA to pass for over 2000 yards and run for over 1000 yards in a regular season (Clemson's Woody Dantzler). I think he remains the only QB to ever do it in a regular season at the DIV 1A level. Look at his youtube video a few years back on his #2 play of the year in the NFL. He was playing kick returner. Not too bad for a former QB. He was electric and reached a peak no one in history had accomplished
Sam, I am no from West Virginia, but I am from South Bend, In and I watched "MAJOR HARRIS" play several times including against us in the Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame and he was the best quarterback in College for two (2) years in a roll! He should have won the Heisman Trophy plain and simple. They couldn't let him play in the NFL because he would have broken every Quarterback Record that they had, and that is "NOT" what they wanted a black Quarterback to do at that time. That's the only reason he didn't get in the NFL!
How can you be making it about race, when in the very same draft year - 1990 - Heisman winner Andre Ware was the first round selection (#7 overall) of the Lions.
Same reason Cam isn't signed as I type this... most teams were convinced that a certain style play was required & there just weren't enough teams willing to give an athletic black QBs a fair shot... Randall was the exception, Major was the norm or rule (like Charlie Ward, Marvin Graves, Tony Robinson, Stave Taylor, Shawn Moore, Phil Bradley, etc)...
