When pro football didn’t work out for former West Virginia standout QB Major Harris, he decided to lend a hand to his hometown of Pittsburgh.
After returning to Morgantown in 1995 to complete his degree in physical education, Harris started counseling children in the Steel City, encouraging them to stay in school and pursue their dreams.
“I rolled with the punches, finished my college education and went back home to work with kids,” Harris told the Bluefield Daily Telegraph in August 2011. “When I tell them not to give up, they listen.”
Harris declared for the 1990 NFL Draft after becoming the first FBS quarterback to throw for 5,000 yards and run for 2,000 during his career. As a sophomore in 1988, he led the Mountaineers to an undefeated and untied regular season, and moments like “The Play” against Penn State are the stuff that dreams for WVU fans are still made of.
Though drafted in the 12th round by the Raiders in 1990, Harris would not play an NFL down, instead spending one season in the CFL and parts of five in the AFL.
Harris’ No. 9 Mountaineers take on No. 25 Baylor on Saturday in Morgantown. Major Harris profile
