Dwayne Harris Season 1992

Honors & Awards

Member of 1994 Nebraska National Championship Team

Second-Team All-Big Eight (Coaches, 1994)

Preseason Honorable-Mention All-American (Street & Smith’s, 1994)

Preseason All-Big Eight (Lindy’s, Street & Smith’s)

Big Eight Defensive Player of the Week (vs. Oklahoma, 1993)

ABC/Chevrolet Nebraska Player of the Game (vs. Oklahoma, 1993)

Signed Free Agent Contract with Tampa Bay (1995)

1994 (Senior)
A second-team All-Big Eight outside linebacker for the Huskers, Dwayne Harris played a significant role in Nebraska’s 1994 national championship season in 1994. Harris started every regular-season game and the 1995 Federal Express Orange Bowl national championship game win over Miami at left outside linebacker. He totaled 43 tackles, including 15 solos on the season. He also had 10 tackles for 48 yards lost, including five sacks for 38 yards. An explosive playmaker, Harris also had 19 quarterback hurries and four pass breakups while causing one interception and forcing one fumble. In Nebraska’s 24-17 Orange Bowl win over the Hurricanes, Harris notched six tackles, including three sacks for 11 yards. He added three quarterback hurries and a pass breakup to help the Big Red secure a third consecutive Big Eight championship.

A three-year letterwinner, Harris played in 31 regular-season games with 13 starts as a Husker, totaling 69 tackles, including 32 solos and 37 assists. He produced 19 career TFLs for 93 yards lost, including 13 sacks for 79 yards. He caused two fumbles and two interceptions. He added 33 quarterback hurries and seven PBUs.

1993 (Junior)
Harris played in every game in 1993 with one start against Colorado State. He was listed as a first-teamer at left outside linebacker alongside All-American Trev Alberts. In the final game of the regular season against Oklahoma, Harris stepped in for Alberts who was forced out of the game with a dislocated elbow just nine plays into the contest. Harris answered the bell with a then-career-high seven tackles, including three sacks of All-Big Eight quarterback Cale Gundy. Harris also had four quarterback hurries and caused Gundy to throw an errant pass into the hands of Toby Wright for an interception to set up NU’s first score to tie the game at 7-7. Harries earned ABC’s Chevrolet Nebraska Player of the Game and was named the Big Eight Defensive Player of the Week. Harris played a crucial role in Nebraska’s unbeaten regular season and second consecutive Big Eight Conference title.

For the season, Harris totaled 22 tackles, including 14 solos, and ranked second on the team with eight sacks for 41 yards lost, trailing only Alberts. Harris added another tackle for four yards lost. He had 14 quarterback hurries and two pass breakups. In the 1994 Federal Express Orange Bowl national championship game against Florida State, Harris recorded a seven-yard sack of Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward. Harris also recorded four hurries of Ward.

1992 (Sophomore)
A scholarship athlete, Harris played in eight games in 1992 as a reserve outside linebacker on the left side. He totaled four tackles with three solo stops, caused one fumble and broke up one pass to help the Huskers capture the Big Eight title.

1991 (Freshman)
Harris sat out the 1991 season.

Jess Lanier High School
A USA Today All-American, Harris recorded 91 total tackles and 12 quarterback sacks as a senior for Coach Carrol Cox’s Jess Lanier High School. Harris helped the team to Alabama’s large-school state championship as a senior in 1990, winning MVP honors in the state championship game. He finished with 167 solo tackles and more than 20 sacks in his high school career, while capturing all-state honors as a junior and senior. A two-way performer, Harris also caught 10 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown from the tight end position. He also had two carries for 56 yards as a fullback. He also lettered in basketball and was a state qualifier in track as a junior by running a 10.9 in the 100 meters. He concentrated solely on football as a senior.

Personal
The son of Walter Harris and Jessie Harris, Dwayne has three brothers, Lee, Walter and Lemonte, and one sister, Beactrice. Dwayne majored in human development at Nebraska. He served as a volunteer mentor in the Teammates program and participated in the 1994 Best of America “School is Cool” Jam.

Harris’ Career Statistics

Regular-Season Games Played: 31 (12, 1994), (11, 1993), (8, 1992)
Regular-Season Games Started: 13 (12, 1994), (1, 1993)

Tackles: 3 UT, 1AT, 4 TT (1992), 14 UT, 8 AT, 22 TT (1993), 15 UT, 28 AT, 43 TT (1994)
TFLs: 0-0 (1992), 9-45 (1993), 10-48 (1994)
Sacks: 0-0 (1992), 8-41 (1993), 5-38 (1994)
Fumbles Caused: 1 (1992), 1 (1994)
PBUs: 1 (1992), 2 (1993), 4 (1994)
QB Hurries: 0 (1992), 14 (1993), 19 (1994)
Interceptions Caused: 0 (1992), 1 (1993), 1 (1994)

1994 Orange Bowl: Tackles, 1 UT, 0 AT, 1 TT, Sacks, 1-7; QB hurries, 4
1995 Orange Bowl: Tackles, 4 UT, 2 AT, 6 TT, Sacks, 3-11; PBU, 1; QB hurries, 3