Montel Harris: 5 Things You Need to Know About Temple RB

It's not very often that a running back finishes his career as the all-time leading rusher at a major college, yet doesn't finish that career at the major college at which he holds that distinction.

That was the case with Montel Harris, who played for the Temple Owls in 2012 after four years at Boston College.

There's surely an interesting story in there somewhere, and here's that story, as well as some other things that every football fan should know about Harris as he begins his NFL career. 

Background

Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida

High School: Trinity Christian (Jacksonville, Florida)

Major: Communications

Year: Senior (fifth-year)

Montel Harris was a second-team All-State performer at Trinity Christian High School as a senior after leading the Conquerors in rushing, receiving and scoring for three consecutive seasons. A 2-star recruit according to Rivals.com, Harris originally committed to Boston College.

Harris enjoyed a very successful career with the Eagles, becoming the team's all-time leading rusher, but repeated violations of team rules led to his dismissal in May of 2012.

However, since Harris had already graduated and still had one season of eligibility remaining, he was able to transfer to and play immediately for the Owls.

Statistics

Montel Harris may not have been a highly touted recruit, but it didn't take long for him to carve out a significant role on offense, rushing for 900 yards and setting a freshman record with five 100-yard games in 2008.

In 2009 Harris became a full-time starter and exploded, gaining nearly 1,500 total yards and scoring 14 touchdowns. Harris led the ACC in rushing in 2010 despite injuring his knee late in the season, but a re-aggravation of that injury cost him most of the 2011 campaign and led to a medical redshirt.

Harris was healthy once more and back at it in 2012, albeit for another team, rushing for over 1,000 yards and 12 scores for the Owls.

Year	Games	Att.	Yards	Avg.	TD	Rec.	Yds.	TD
2008	13	179	900	5.03	5	20	160	1
2009	13	308	1,457	4.73	14	8	69	1
2010	13	268	1,242	4.63	8	18	112	1
2011	2	31	135	4.35	0	3	36	0
2012	10	186	1,054	5.67	12	10	90	0

Draft Process

Measurables

Height: 5'8"

Weight: 208 pounds

Arm Length: 30.5"

Hand Size: 9.375" 

Combine Results

40-Yard Dash: 4.68 seconds

Bench Press: 19 reps

Broad Jump: 9'5"

Vertical Jump: 32.5"

20-Yard Shuttle: 4.18 seconds

Three-Cone Drill: 6.95 seconds

Pro Day Results

40-Yard Dash: 4.67 seconds 

Bench Press: 21 reps

Despite the fact that Montel Harris performed fairly well at the 2013 NFL Scouting Combine, he also chose to work out at Temple's pro day, perhaps at alleviate fears about his surgically repaired knee.

Interesting Facts

Here's a look at some interesting facts about Montel Harris, both on and off the field.

Montel Harris leads Boston College in career rushing yards (3,735), career carries (786) and 100-yard games (22).

Against North Carolina State in 2009, Harris also set single-game school records for rushing yards with 264, and touchdowns with five.

Despite only playing a single season at Temple, Harris' five 100-yard games were enough to place him 10th all time in school history.

Harris has already received his degree in communications and is pursuing a master's degree in adult and organizational development.

In addition to being a talented football player, Harris also holds a black belt in karate.

Observations

Here's what some draftniks and sportswriters have to say about Montel Harris.

Dane Brugler, NFL Draft Scout: "His vision and feel as a runner is evident with the quickness to elude defenders, but his baggage might be too much. Despite setting the Boston College all-time rushing mark, Harris was dismissed from the program in May after several team violations, transferring to Temple in July and earning immediate eligibility. He has a history of knee issues as well, missing all of last season and reinjuring his knee this past spring."

Matt Waldman, Rookie Scouting Portfolio: "If you ask me, there’s a lot to like about Harris.  I like the fact that he graduated from Boston College and is pursuing a graduate degree at Temple. I’m a fan of the discipline it takes to earn a black belt. I’m also bullish on the fact that Harris has dedicated almost half his life to studying karate. It doesn’t hurt that Carolina Panther linebacker Luke Kuechly has praise for Harris’ game – especially his balance."

Freddie Shires, Inside the War Room: "Harris isn’t big, he isn’t fast but he just seems to have a knack for finding the hole and running between the tackles. A patient runner, who’s great at catching the ball out of the backfield, Harris would be a truly ideal fit for a heavy zone-blocking scheme and, were it not for the presence of Alfred Morris in Washington, you’d think him and Shanahan were a match made in heaven. The character and health concerns could well mean he goes undrafted in April but Harris should be able to play his way into a running back-by-committee situation in the preseason and, from there, go about making a case for his starting credentials."