Biography

Elijah Harris was everything you would want in a football player. At 5’9” and 180 pounds, he was tough, he was relentless, and he was unselfish. As a two-year, two-way starter (running back and linebacker) he was able to maximize these attributes into a stellar Rocketeer career.

Coach Don Johnson would reiterate this point; “Elijah had a great motor and never stopped working on both sides of the ball. He was extremely coachable and played the game with energy and enthusiasm. He was a charismatic leader who made everyone around him a better football player.”

As a junior, Harris would share backfield duties with future NFL fullback Anthony Sherman and his contribution was essential to their success. During Big Red’s 8-2 campaign, Elijah ran for 408 yards on 61 carries (6.7 yards/carry), caught 7 passes for 156 yards, and scored a total of 6 touchdowns. His success as a junior was a glimpse of what he would produce as a senior as the focal point of the offense.

As a senior, and Captain, Harris would rush 154 times for 1134 yards (7.4 yards/carry) and 14 touchdowns to lead the Rocketeers to a 7-2-1 record. In six of those contests he would rush for 98 yards or more with a high of 187 yards against Sharon. He also produced five games with multiple rushing touchdowns. Harris was the player you needed to stop if you had any chance of slowing down the Big Red offense.

Defensively, Harris would excel as well. From his linebacker position, he would accumulate 71 solo tackles, 26 assists, and 5 sacks over his varsity career. His consistency at the position was a huge factor in the Big Red defense allowing only 10 points per game in his two seasons.

Elijah’s most significant memories were scoring the game winning touchdown against Foxboro as a junior to help keep the team undefeated and then as a senior, a come from behind victory on Thanksgiving over Attleboro to end his career on a high note.

For his efforts as a senior, Elijah was selected as a Sun Chronicle, Hockomock League, and Boston Globe Division II All-Star. He also was awarded Big Red’s offensive player of the year and selected to play in the annual Shriner’s Classic. After graduation, he went on to Northeastern University where he earned a MS in Rehabilitation Sciences and a Doctorate in Physical Therapy.