Major Harris’ No. 9 to be retired by West Virginia

— By Taylor Kennedy

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — One day after West Virginia revealed its intentions to retire Darryl Talley’s No. 90, the Mountaineer football program announced a fifth jersey retirement in program history.

One of the more popular and accomplished players in WVU history — quarterback Major Harris — will have his No. 9 retired on November 6 when the Mountaineers play host to Oklahoma State.

Harris, a College Football Hall of Famer, joins Talley (90), Ira “Rat” Rodgers (21), Sam Huff (75), and Bruce Bosley (77) as players to have their jersey retired in WVU football history.

Harris attended Brashear High School and excelled to where he earned Pittsburgh’s high school football player of the year his junior and senior seasons.

He showed interest in attending Pitt, but then-Panthers coach Mike Gottfried wanted Harris to play defensive back. He had other intentions.

Harris arrived in Morgantown in 1986 after WVU coach Don Nehlen had signed Harris and fellow quarterback Browning Nagle. Both were redshirted upon arrival and competed for the starting position the following season, with Harris ultimately ended up winning the job.

With Harris leading the way, the Mountaineers would finish 6-6 with a Sun Bowl loss to Oklahoma State in 1987.

Harris had a productive first season. He appeared in all 12 games, rushing 145 times for 615 yards and completing 77-of-155 passes for 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns.

In 1988, Harris led the program’s first-ever undefeated and untied regular season, which earned WVU a date with top-ranked Notre Dame in the national championship. Harris went down with an injury to his throwing shoulder and it still remains one of the more ‘what if’ moments in Mountaineer history.

Harris established his name on a national level in WVU’s 1988 home game against Penn State. On a play in the first quarter, he weaved through seven different defenders and ultimately ended up in the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown run.

For the 1988 season, Harris ran 134 times for 610 yards and went 105-for-186 passing with 1,915 yards and 14 touchdowns. Harris became so popular in West Virginia that he received write-in votes for the state’s 1988 gubernatorial election.

Harris’ eye-opening numbers and on-the-field play helped him finish fifth in Heisman voting that season. He also received ECAC Player of the Year honors.

One of Harris’ more memorable statistical performances came during his junior season at Penn State, when Harris outgained the Nittany Lions by himself, 301-262.

For the 1989 season, which would mark his last in a West Virginia uniform, Harris passed for 2,058 yards, rushed for 936 and accounted for 23 touchdowns. He finished his junior season third in the Heisman voting, which is the highest ever by a Mountaineer.

Harris opted to enter the NFL Draft and was selected in the 12th round by the Los Angeles Raiders.

Considered to play a style that was ahead of its time, Harris left the Mountaineers as their all-time leader in total yards with 7,334 yards, a record that is now held by former quarterback Geno Smith. Harris also became one of two quarterbacks in Division I history to surpass 5,000 passing yards and 2,000 rushing yards.

Despite not having a successful NFL career, Harris went on to play one season in the Canadian Football League and five seasons in the Arena Football League.

Harris was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 1999, became a member of the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009, and became an inaugural member of the Mountaineer Legends Society in 2016.

Current Mountaineer Isaiah Esdale wears No. 9 and will continue to wear that number until the end of his career.





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