All-American: Tommie Harris
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| Tommie Harris |
Tommie Harris, DT - 2002, 2003
Defensive tackle Tommie Harris earned consensus All-America honors in 2003 after being named to three All-America teams as a sophomore in 2002.
Harris became the 12th Oklahoma player to be a finalist and the third to win the Lombardi Award in 2003. The junior from Killeen, Texas, won the recognition as the nation's top college lineman, making good on a pledge to return and win the honor after being a runner-up in 2002.
Harris was the anchor of a defensive unit that was near the top of virtually every statistical category in 2003. He had 37 tackles, including 10 for losses, five sacks and a fumble recovery.
"It's almost like in the days of Joe Washington,'' Oklahoma defensive line coach Jackie Shipp said. "When the ball was snapped, everyone looked to see what Joe would do. As a defensive tackle, we all want to see what Tommie is going to do next.'"
Harris’ sophomore season in 2002 was a testament to the nationwide success the Oklahoma defensive tackle had achieved. Slowed all season by a groin injury suffered in August drills, Harris still faced double teams week after week. Despite that attention, he was named to three All-America teams and was a finalist for the Bednarik and Lombardi Awards. Harris bypassed his senior season to make himself eligible for the 2004 NFL Draft.
