Former two-time Wyoming All-American and 1996 Biletnikoff Award winner Marcus Harris has been selected as one of the eligible players for the 2018 National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame class.
Harris ended his college football career as the NCAA’s all-time career leader in total receiving yards with 4,518. He still ranks No. 4 all-time in NCAA history.
Harris led the nation in receiving yards as a sophomore in 1994, ranked second in 1995 and again led the nation as a senior in 1996. He was named a First Team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) in 1995 and was a Consensus All-American in 1996.
Harris also won the prestigious Biletnikoff Award in 1996, which recognizes the college football season’s outstanding receiver.
“This is a great honor for one of our all-time great Cowboys,” said University of Wyoming Athletics Director Tom Burman. “Marcus (Harris) achieved everything he could individually as a receiver during his Wyoming career, and he helped lead our program to a Top 25 ranking and berth in the inaugural WAC Championship Game in 1996. Now he is being considered for the ultimate honor a college football player can receive.”
“Our staff has had the opportunity to get to know Marcus a little since we have been here at Wyoming,” said UW head football coach Craig Bohl. “We know he is proud to be a former Wyoming Cowboy and still follows the Cowboys to this day from his home in Minneapolis. We want to congratulate him for being one of the select few individuals being considered for this year’s Hall of Fame class.”
“It’s an enormous honor to just be on the ballot when you think that more than 5.19 million people have played college football and only 987 players have been inducted,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “The Hall’s requirement of being a First-Team All-American creates a much smaller pool of only 1,500 individuals who are even eligible. So being in today’s elite group means an individual is truly among the greatest to ever have played the game, and we are extremely proud to announce their names. We look forward to revealing the 2018 Class prior to the CFP National Championship in Atlanta, the esteemed home of the College Football Hall of Fame.”
The announcement of the 2018 Class will be made Monday, Jan. 8, 2018, in Atlanta. The city is serving as the host for the CFP National Championship, which will be played later that day at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The 2018 class will officially be inducted during the 61st NFF Annual Awards Dinner Dec. 4, 2018, at the New York Hilton Midtown. The inductees will be permanently enshrined at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta later that December and honored on the field during the 14th Annual National Hall of Fame Salute during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
They will also be honored at their respective schools at an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2018 season.
Harris played under former UW head coach Joe Tiller's high octane offense from 1993-1996, where from 94-96 he had over 1,400 yards receiving each season. Harris ended with 259 career receptions for 4,518 and 38 touchdowns in his career. He caught 109 passes for 1650 yards in his senior 1996 season.
In 1994, The 6-2, 215 pound receiver led the Cowboys to a near big upset of the eventual National Champions Nebraska Cornhuskers, when he caught 8 passes for 149 yards, a 42-32 loss.
Harris was drafted in the seventh round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions and left UW as the school's all-time leading wide receiver and NCAA all-time total receiving yardage leader.
