Les Schwab Bowl: Major Harris has tall order to be best athlete in his own family
http://highschoolsports.oregonlive.com/news/article/-1335063102015092414/les-schwab-bowl-major-harris-has-tall-order-to-be-best-athlete-in-his-own-family/
This past school year, McKay senior Major Harris was an all-Central Valley Conference first-team selection in football and basketball.
It could be argued the best high school athlete of 2009-10 in Salem was Harris, named in part after former West Virginia quarterback Major Harris, a college football Hall of Famer.
Harris, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound defensive end on the South roster in Saturday's Les Schwab Bowl in Hillsboro Stadium, isn't the major athlete of the family, though. Not yet, anyway.
Major's father, Howard, was a dominant wrestler at Oregon State, a four-time all-American who became the first African American to earn outstanding wrestler honors at the NCAA Division I tournament, when he pinned his way to the heavyweight title in 1980.
When Major Harris made his recruiting visit to Portland State, McKay coach Jay Minyard suggested he bring his father along.
"I told him that it's very important for them to see your dad," Minyard said, "so they can see what you'll look like when you fill out."
Not long after visiting, Harris accepted a scholarship offer from the Vikings.
"Major has great closing speed. You could see him become a dominant player last year," said West Salem coach Shawn Stanley, one of the Les Schwab South coaches. "If he got matched up on a tackle that wasn't very athletic, he'd beat him all day long."
Major Harris said he hopes someday, he will have an athletic résumé like his father. The younger Harris became aware at age 6 that Howard Harris was a special athlete when one day he walked into the garage and noticed hundreds of trophies.
"I thought my dad was a super-hero," Harris said.
Howard Harris is a quiet sort; Minyard said in four years as Major Harris' football coach, he "probably hasn't heard 20 words from him." Harris said his father has always had a positive influence on his sports career.
But there's another side of Major Harris that differs from Howard Harris, as well as his three older brothers: Major Harris is only male in his family not to run afoul of the law.
Harris' father has been in and out of prison, the latest stint coming during Major Harris' freshman and sophomore years at McKay. Quentin Harris, 26, is serving a life sentence at the Oregon State Penitentiary for a 2005 murder conviction.
Major Harris' troubles? He once struggled with classes in Parrish Middle School, but even there it had a good ending: In eighth grade, he earned an honor as the school's turnaround student of the year.
"He's one of the most polite kids you'll ever meet, a great kid with great character," Minyard said. "Even with the trouble the family has had, they've been very supportive of him."
Harris credits his mother, Clara Harris, for keeping him out of trouble. He said his mother would often offer counsel, such as staying away from certain school activities, if she felt it could lead to trouble.
Cynthia Richardson, principal at McKay and a friend of Clara Harris', said Harris' mother “was real strong and very direct and very specific and intentional about what he could and could not do.”
The Harris family -- including Major Harris' sister, Monique, 21 -- collectively engaged in steering him toward a better life.
"My brothers would say, 'Don't be like us. Do better than us, and learn from our mistakes,'" Major said.
Harris admitted Quentin Harris' 2005 conviction shook him.
"It let me know to stay on the right path at all times," he said.
Attempts to reach Howard and Clara Harris by telephone were unsuccessful.
Outside of his family, Harris said, he grew particularly close to Richardson and Minyard; they often drove him to school during his final two years of high school.
“I think he has a fear of not living up to his father as an athlete," Richardson said. "That’s probably the reason he didn’t wrestle, because he didn’t think he could live up to his daddy.”
"But what kept me out of trouble the most was, I wanted to play football," Harris said.
"When we found out I was getting a scholarship, there were a lot of tears. It was a happy moment at our house."
http://highschoolsports.oregonlive.com/news/article/-1335063102015092414/les-schwab-bowl-major-harris-has-tall-order-to-be-best-athlete-in-his-own-family/
This past school year, McKay senior Major Harris was an all-Central Valley Conference first-team selection in football and basketball.
It could be argued the best high school athlete of 2009-10 in Salem was Harris, named in part after former West Virginia quarterback Major Harris, a college football Hall of Famer.
Harris, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound defensive end on the South roster in Saturday's Les Schwab Bowl in Hillsboro Stadium, isn't the major athlete of the family, though. Not yet, anyway.
Major's father, Howard, was a dominant wrestler at Oregon State, a four-time all-American who became the first African American to earn outstanding wrestler honors at the NCAA Division I tournament, when he pinned his way to the heavyweight title in 1980.
When Major Harris made his recruiting visit to Portland State, McKay coach Jay Minyard suggested he bring his father along.
"I told him that it's very important for them to see your dad," Minyard said, "so they can see what you'll look like when you fill out."
Not long after visiting, Harris accepted a scholarship offer from the Vikings.
"Major has great closing speed. You could see him become a dominant player last year," said West Salem coach Shawn Stanley, one of the Les Schwab South coaches. "If he got matched up on a tackle that wasn't very athletic, he'd beat him all day long."
Major Harris said he hopes someday, he will have an athletic résumé like his father. The younger Harris became aware at age 6 that Howard Harris was a special athlete when one day he walked into the garage and noticed hundreds of trophies.
"I thought my dad was a super-hero," Harris said.
Howard Harris is a quiet sort; Minyard said in four years as Major Harris' football coach, he "probably hasn't heard 20 words from him." Harris said his father has always had a positive influence on his sports career.
But there's another side of Major Harris that differs from Howard Harris, as well as his three older brothers: Major Harris is only male in his family not to run afoul of the law.
Harris' father has been in and out of prison, the latest stint coming during Major Harris' freshman and sophomore years at McKay. Quentin Harris, 26, is serving a life sentence at the Oregon State Penitentiary for a 2005 murder conviction.
Major Harris' troubles? He once struggled with classes in Parrish Middle School, but even there it had a good ending: In eighth grade, he earned an honor as the school's turnaround student of the year.
"He's one of the most polite kids you'll ever meet, a great kid with great character," Minyard said. "Even with the trouble the family has had, they've been very supportive of him."
Harris credits his mother, Clara Harris, for keeping him out of trouble. He said his mother would often offer counsel, such as staying away from certain school activities, if she felt it could lead to trouble.
Cynthia Richardson, principal at McKay and a friend of Clara Harris', said Harris' mother “was real strong and very direct and very specific and intentional about what he could and could not do.”
The Harris family -- including Major Harris' sister, Monique, 21 -- collectively engaged in steering him toward a better life.
"My brothers would say, 'Don't be like us. Do better than us, and learn from our mistakes,'" Major said.
Harris admitted Quentin Harris' 2005 conviction shook him.
"It let me know to stay on the right path at all times," he said.
Attempts to reach Howard and Clara Harris by telephone were unsuccessful.
Outside of his family, Harris said, he grew particularly close to Richardson and Minyard; they often drove him to school during his final two years of high school.
“I think he has a fear of not living up to his father as an athlete," Richardson said. "That’s probably the reason he didn’t wrestle, because he didn’t think he could live up to his daddy.”
"But what kept me out of trouble the most was, I wanted to play football," Harris said.
"When we found out I was getting a scholarship, there were a lot of tears. It was a happy moment at our house."
