BEVERLY, Mass. — Endicott senior linebacker Tim Russell (Stoneham, Mass.) has been named a nominee for the eighth annual Cliff Harris Award, as announced by the organization earlier this week.
The Cliff Harris Award is presented annually to the nation's top small college defensive player representing more than 5,000 defensive players from almost 500 NCAA Division II, Division III, and NAIA colleges and universities.
Russell is the second student-athlete in Endicott football program history to be nominated for the Cliff Harris Award.
Russell, who joins defensive lineman Sam Opont (Bridgeport, Conn.) on the exclusive list, will learn if he is a finalist for the award next week, on Friday, December 24.
From there, a prestigious selection committee made up of former college and pro football greats will select the Cliff Harris Award winner, which will be announced on Tuesday, December 28.
The Cliff Harris Award winner will be honored at the Little Rock Touchdown Club's annual awards banquet on Friday, January 14, 2022. The winner will receive the $3,000 Cliff Harris Award trophy presented by National Football League (NFL) Hall of Famer Cliff Harris, along with featured speaker and NFL legend Joe Theismann.
As for Russell's 2021 campaign, the Commonwealth Coast Football (CCC Football) Defensive Player of the Year and two-time All-Region honoree compiled 94 tackles (45 solo, 49 assisted, 12.5 tackles for loss), 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, four interceptions (one pick-six), and four pass breakups in 11 games played.
Russell's CCC Football ranks include: solo tackles (3rd), assisted tackles (2nd), tackles (1st), tackles per game (8.5, 3rd), sacks (13th), sack yards (23, 7th), interceptions (2nd), returned for touchdown(s) (1st), fumble recoveries (9th).
Nationally, Russell ranked No. 75 in total tackles, No. 81 in interceptions per game, No. 127 in tackles for loss, and No. 190 in solo tackles.
MORE ON CLIFF HARRIS
Cliff Harris was born in Fayetteville, Arkansas spent most of his formative years in Hot Springs and graduated from high school at Des Arc. He played multiple sports growing up but received little interest from college recruiters. A family friend convinced second-year Ouachita Baptist University head coach Buddy Benson that Harris deserved a chance to play college football, and Harris made a name for himself in the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference from 1966-69. Harris' father had starred in football at Ouachita in the 1940s.
Harris was overlooked in the 1970 NFL draft, but Gil Brandt, who headed the legendary scouting operation for the Dallas Cowboys, was well aware of the player at the small school in Arkadelphia. Harris, in fact, won a starting position with the Cowboys as a rookie in 1970. His rookie season was interrupted by a tour of duty in the U.S. Army, but Harris wasted no time regaining his starting position following his military commitment.
During the next decade, the hard-hitting Harris changed the way the position of free safety was played in the NFL. He rarely left the field, often leading the team not only in interceptions but also in yardage on kickoff and punt returns. In just 10 years as a Cowboy, Harris played in five Super Bowls (the Cowboys won two of them), was named to the Pro Bowl six times and was named a first-team All-NFL player for four consecutive seasons by both The Associated Press and the Pro Football Writers Association.
Harris was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1985 and the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor in 2004. He also was named to the Dallas Cowboys Silver Season All-Time Team and was selected by Sports Illustrated as the free safety on the magazine's All-Time Dream Team. Harris was awarded the NFL Alumni Legends Award. For years, the Cliff Harris Celebrity Golf Tournament has been one of the leading charity events in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Harris also heads the FCA Charity Golf Tournament in Hot Springs.
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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)
