100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 95 Days, Former CB Walt Harris

Year two of the Jeff Lebby era has arrived and the Mississippi State coach is back to work.

After a disappointing first season, the coach and his staff are doing what they can to get things back on track in Starkville. The players on the field will be the difference for State this season if they are to make a return and we’re going to discuss every single one of them over the course of the next few months.

As we do every year, we’re counting down 100 days until State’s first game at Southern Miss in Hattiesburg on August 30. Over this period of time, we’ll breakdown every scholarship player on the roster, look back at great moments in MSU history and even talk about legends that have come before the current Bulldogs.

Today, we look back at another Bulldog legend.  

95 Days: Former Cornerback Walt Harris     

There’s been a history of great corners in State history. Fred Smoot, Johnthan Banks, Martin Emerson and Emmanuel Forbes all had great college careers and followed it up by going to the NFL. But the player that set the tone for those standouts was Harris.

A native of LaGrange, Ga., Harris was brought in by Jackie Sherrill and made an immediate impact with the Bulldogs in 1992. After getting his feet wet that first year on campus, Harris became a star in the defensive backfield for the Bulldogs.

Harris began to make a knack out of getting interceptions and they came in bunches as he hauled in six picks as a sophomore. At the time, the six takeaways had only been done twice before but it had been nearly 30 years. His work as a playmaking defender earned him second-team All-SEC on the defensive side of the ball and it was only up from there.

As a junior, Harris replicated his six-interception season the year before by coming through with another. His interception total would rank fifth nationally and third in the SEC and he also added 12 passes defended, two forced fumbles and two blocked kicks. That season, he earned first-team All-SEC honors and he’d do it again as a senior.

By 1995, Harris’ reputation was as strong as any player at his position. The passes his way began to dwindle, but he didn’t stop making plays. Harris pulled in four interceptions and had eight pass deflections on the way to his third-straight All-SEC season, this one again as a first teamer.

Following his great career in Starkville, Harris would prepare for the next level. He was invited to the Senior Bowl where his stock grew with scouts and he ultimately was taken 13^th overall in the NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. Harris was the first State player drafted in the first round since Michael Haddix was taken eighth overall by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Harris made an impression early with the Bears as he made the All-Rookie team his first year in 1996 with 95 tackles and two interceptions. He played six seasons in Chicago before spending two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, two more with the Washington Redskins and then he finished out his career with the San Francisco 49ers from 2006-08. His best season as a defender came in his first year with the 9ers when he picked off a career-high eight passes and had 63 tackles with four forced fumbles. That year earned him his one and only spot in the Pro Bowl. He finished his fantastic 13-year career in the league with 748 career tackles, 35 interceptions, four touchdowns, 18 forced fumbles, 12 fumble recoveries and 3.0 sacks.

To this day, Harris is still tied for the school record for most interceptions in a career (16) and a season (6). He is the only player in school history to have two seasons with six interceptions. Harris was inducted into the MSU Sports Hall of Fame in 2017. In 2018, State forever enshrined Harris into its illustrious Ring of Honor at Davis Wade Stadium.

Harris is now immortalized with State legends like Jack Cristil, Johnie Cooks, Kent Hull, D.D. Lewis, Tom “Shorty” McWilliams, Art Davis, Jackie Parker and Joe Fortunato.