10 Things you may not know about Cliff Harris
January 01, 2020
It’s fall. The leaves are about to change and colder weather is coming. It’s almost
time to break out the hoodies and plan midnight bonfires. However, one thing is already
here – football. It’s a Saturday southern tradition full of tailgates and cheering
on your favorite teams.
For home games at Ouachita, hundreds of fans gather to watch the Tigers in Cliff Harris
Stadium, which was dedicated in 2014. But who is this Cliff Harris? Here are 10 things
you may not know about the famous football player our stadium was named after:
1. Clifford Allen Harris was born in Fayetteville, Ark. He went to Hot Springs High
School and Des Arc High School where he played football as the quarterback.
2. Harris attended and played football for the Ouachita Tigers where he played cornerback
until senior year when he switched to safety.
3. He came out undrafted after graduating from Ouachita and joined the Dallas Cowboys
as a free agent. Harris earned a starting position in 1970. He played safety for the
Cowboys for 10 years from 1970-1979.
4. Harris was nicknamed “Captain Crash” because of his relentless and aggressive tackles.
5. Harris played in five Super Bowls for the Cowboys, including two Super Bowl victories.
Super Bowl VI was the first world championship the Cowboys won in 1972.
6. Harris played in six Pro Bowl games and was named an All-Pro four times. He also
was named to the 1970s All-Decade Team, the 1985 Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and
the 2015 Texas Hall of Fame.
7. He has played quarterback, cornerback, safety, kickoff and punt returner throughout
his football career.
8. The Cliff Harris Award was named in his honor to recognize the best small college
defensive player of the year. The annual award was established to honor and encourage
football players at small universities.
9. Harris participated in the demolition of Ouachita’s old football stadium in preparation
for the new one to be built.
10. His dad was diagnosed with type I diabetes. Harris is now on the board of the Juvenile
Diabetes Research Foundation. He holds a golf tournament for the foundation every
year, raising close to $2 million over the past few years.
By Sarah Davis, a junior mass communications and Christian studies/Christian ministry double major from Beebe, Ark.
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