As administrator: James Larnell "Shack" Harris (born July 20, 1947) is an American former professional football player and executive.
[1] After his playing career, Harris worked in the front office for the Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Baltimore Ravens, where he was a part of the Super Bowl XXXV-winning team.
"[1] When his older brother left home to join the Army, and James grew to six feet-four inches, the family dropped the "Little" from his nickname to just "Shack.
"[3] Harris attended Carroll High in Monroe, where he led the football team to a Louisiana state championship in his sophomore year,[1] and two perfect seasons.
[1] Harris played college football for HBCU Grambling State University from 1965 to 1968, and as a three-year starter led the Tigers to a 24-5-1 record.
[2][1] Harris was also just the second black player in the modern era to start in any game as quarterback for a professional football team.
[12] He made no starts in 1970, going 24-of-50 for 338 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions in a year where the Bills went 3-10-1 while using newly drafted Dennis Shaw as their main starter.
In an effort to spark the Los Angeles offense, Rams head coach Chuck Knox promoted Harris as the starting quarterback.
Harris, in turn, became the first Black quarterback to open a season as his team's starter in National Football League history.
Harris, with his throwing shoulder mended, reclaimed his starting job and led the team to two wins, including a 436-yard passing performance against the Miami Dolphins.
Knox stuck with Haden in the 1976 playoffs, even though Harris was healthy enough to see action late in the season, including a season-ending comeback win over the Detroit Lions.
At the time of his departure, Harris held the highest career completion average of any quarterback in Rams team history (55.4%) and had been an integral part of three straight NFC West Champions.
[13] He made nine starts in his first year due to Dan Fouts holding out for more money, going 4–5 while throwing 109-for-211 with 1,240 yards, five touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
[16] Harris is thought to be the inspiration for the NFL films song, "Ramblin' Man From Gramblin'" composed by Sam Spence.
[2] In 2003, Harris left the Ravens organization and went on to serve as the Vice President of Player Personnel for the Jacksonville Jaguars, resigning on December 23, 2008.
Lions General Manager Martin Mayhew has a long history with Harris, and indicated he was the only individual who was offered the job.
[23][2] In 2009 and 2010, Harris and Williams played pivotal roles in establishing the Black College Football Hall of Fame (BCF-HOF).