Hall of Fame
Michael Harris transferred to Truman from Porterville (Calif.) Junior College prior to the 1977 season. The Lebanon, Pa., native rushed for 751 yards on 134 carries and six touchdowns that year. When Steve Powell was sidelined with an injury, Harris stepped up his production, having his finest game of the season against Northwest Missouri, gaining 176 yards and scoring a pair of TDs. For his junior season efforts, Harris was named second-team all-MIAA. His senior season, he rushed for 100 or more yards in eight contests, highlighted by a 256-yard spectacle against Central Missouri and a 232-yard performance at the expense of Lincoln. Those performances still rank sixth and 11th, respectively, on the Bulldog list of single game rushing performances. He also enjoyed his longest run against Lincoln, a 78-yard scamper. By season's end, Harris re-wrote Truman and MIAA records with his 1,598 yards and 329 carries. His 145.3 rushing yards per game led all of NCAA Division II, his 44 carries against Southwest Missouri established a school record. His 329 carries remains a Truman single season record to this day. The conference coaches selected him the MIAA's most valuable player and the Associated Press named him to its Little All-America second team. Harris signed as a free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs, but was placed on waivers during the preseason. He later played briefly in the Pennsylvania Semi Pro League and the USFL. Harris is currently the director of security for Powers Investigations, a worldwide private investigation firm. He has a 10-year-old daughter, Ashley.
