Football Player Profile: George Harris

Written and Media by Ransom Cochrane.


During the several months of offseason and only a short spring season, football is a sport that loses its spotlight in the winter and fall. This week we will shine that light back onto the football team with a player profile. One of the key positions on the offensive side in the sport is the quarterback. They give out the play, redirect people, and have some of the best vision on the field. George Harris is Greenville’s starting QB and is seen to be one of the big leaders on the team. Harris was born February 27th, 1998 in Rochester, New York and grew up in Silverdale, Washington until he transitioned here to Greenville, IL. Harris has accomplished many great feats while being here at Greenville University.

George Harris reading the field. Media by Dana Fitch.

Harris attended Klahowya Secondary School and graduated in 2016 before deciding to continue his academic and athletic career at Greenville University. Harris has a lot of football experience and started playing when he was in fifth grade. He did not begin playing QB until his sophomore year in high school. Harris was then contacted by head coach Robbie Schumaker and offensive coordinator Josh Flannery during his freshman year of high school.

Harris visited Greenville during the summer when there were no students and few faculty on site, but he still loved the school, town, and atmosphere. Additionally, Harris loved the Christian aspect and focus on faith and community. Harris also knew he could continue his love and passion for the game of football for four more years.

When choosing Greenville, Harris was backed by tremendous amounts of support and love by his parents. His mother especially favored the faith aspect and coaching staff. Moving away from home is always hard, especially from all the way across the country. The coaches did not make it easy during summer camp. For Harris, the first two weeks of school his freshman year were the hardest for him. He was extremely homesick and missed his girlfriend. After many visits from his parents and girlfriend, Harris felt at ease. Having a family bond on the football team is crucial, and luckily for the Greenville team, they have a great bond. Harris states, “I have never been a part of bond this strong in my life.”

George Harris working hard in class. Media by Ransom Cochrane.

Every athlete that plays college sports has goals. These goals may be team or individual-oriented, but the best athletes and leaders are open-minded and see both. Harris’s goals aren’t so much on the field-oriented goals but more personal performance goals. His main goal is to be as strong and healthy as possible. Harris has battled a few injuries and has undergone two surgeries while at Greenville, but these obstacles have not stopped him. Harris team-oriented goal is to help lead and win the conference championship next year, which in his eyes is a very attainable goal.

When fighting through injuries, Harris is very persistent and knows how to get things done. Harris has made the most out of his time at Greenville so far and these things include friendships, experiences, and memories. Harris’s favorite memory while being a part of the football team was beating Iowa Wesleyan in a very high scoring game on a broken foot. “The fight through a lot of adversity made the win feel even better,” noted Harris. Harris has accomplished a lot in his short time here. He earned Freshman Offensive Player of the Year award, earned the title of a terminator his sophomore year, 2017 UMAC Academic All-Conference, and earned Second Team All-Conference. Harris has two more years to accomplish great things alongside his brothers.

This summer, Harris will be recovering from a recent foot surgery and will begin therapy to come out next season as strong as ever. Harris has put in a tremendous amount of work and effort to be where he is and deserves the recognition. Many teammates and students at Greenville look up to him as a leader on and off the field. To get to know and learn more about Harris, find him around campus and come check out the team this fall as they compete for a spot at the conference championship!

5 COMMENTS

  1. Great job, Ransome! I appreciate that you discussed your subject’s strengths and vulnerabilities. It humanized him.

  2. Great job, Ransome! I appreciated that you discussed your subject’s strengths and vulnerabilities. It humanized him.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here