Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

National Quarterback Hall of Fame James "Shack" Harris

By HBCU Sports

The National Quarterback Club (NQBC) announced August 11, 2020, that Roman Gabriel, James "Shack" Harris, Kurt Warner, and Doug Williams will be inducted into the National Quarterback Hall of Fame at the 2020 NQBC Awards Dinner and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on February 27, 2021. NQBC will also celebrate Tom Flores with the Legacy Recognition Award™ and will name the National Quarterback of the Year in professional, college, and high school ranks. "The National Quarterback Club honors uniquely courageous actions. We believe that telling the stories of those who act with leadership and courage inspires future generations to follow that example. "These awards represent a veritable timeline of great quarterbacks and great men in American football history. If there is a lesson in the lives of the four men, we honor this year, it is that none of us can afford to be lookers-on standing on the sidelines. The energies and talents of all of us are needed to meet the challenges of our communities."

James "Shack" Harris

James Harris played high school football at Carroll High School in Monroe LA from1962 to 1965 and college football at Grambling State University from 1965 to 1968 where, as quarterback, he led the Tigers to three of four straight Southwestern Athletic Conference titles and was named the MVP in the 1967 Orange Blossom Bowl Classic. As a senior, Harris passed for 1,972 yards and 21 touchdowns on only 225 attempts. In three years as Grambling's starting quarterback, he led the Tigers to a 24-5-1 record. Starting Week 1 for the AFL's Buffalo Bills after being drafted in the eighth round of the 1969 Common Draft, a full year before the NFL would merge with the AFL, Harris became the first black quarterback to start a season opener in either league. After three years with the Bills, Harris was released and signed with the Los Angeles Rams in 1972. Early in the 1974 season, Rams head coach Chuck Knox promoted Harris to the starting position. In his starting debut for the Rams against the San Francisco 49ers, Harris completed 12 of 15 passes for 276 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another as the Rams won easily, 37-14, at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The performance earned Harris a perfect passer rating for the game. Harris became the Rams' starting quarterback for the remainder of the 1974 season and led the team to seven wins in its last nine regular-season games, a second consecutive NFC Western Division title and the Rams first playoff victory since 1951. Harris became the first black quarterback to start and win an NFL playoff game. Harris was named to the NFC Pro Bowl team in 1974 and was awarded MVP of that game. Shack's leadership and strong arm helped lead the team to another division title in 1975. Harris, in turn, became the first African American to open a season as his team's starting quarterback in National Football League history. Despite a series of injuries during the 1976 season, Harris' 89.6 passer rating that year was tied for the highest in the NFC. Harris was traded to the San Diego Chargers prior to the 1977 season where he would play three years before retiring. After his playing career concluded, Harris served in the head office for the Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Detroit Lions before officially retiring from the NFL in 2015. Harris has positions in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame, Grambling State University's Hall of Fame, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, and the Black College Football Hall of Fame. If it had not been for the Lord and big sister Lucille Richards courageousness, these James "Shack" Harris accolades would only be a dream instead of reality.

Photo James "Shack" Harris and his big sister Lucille Richards