[3] Harrell played American football as a tight end for the University of Maryland,[1] and was part of the developmental squads with the San Diego Chargers and the Los Angeles Raiders.
[1] While playing for the San Diego Chargers, Harrell suffered a knee injury that kept him out of the game for three seasons.
[3] In 1988, Harrell began to train for the bobsleigh team to represent the United States at the Winter Olympics.
[3] In 1991, he was part of the bobsleigh team that won silver and bronze at the World Bobsled Championships.
[1][5][6] Following his sporting career, Harrell became a motivational speaker and worked as a mortgage broker.