Bigger than football: Najee Harris

Chris Dailey

Founder, The Sports Court

Najee Harris is a freak of nature. 

The star Alabama running back is destined for the NFL. He runs with pure power and is by far the best player whenever he steps on the field. 

With 1,262 rushing yards this year and 1,224 last year, Najee is producing yet again. He’s also finding the endzone a lot more. Najee has 24 rushing TD’s this year compared to 13 last year.

The pass-catching back has also had over 300 yards receiving in both his junior and senior season (2019 &  2020).

The future is clear for Najee. The future is the NFL.

However, it hasn’t always been easy for the powerful running back.

Najee was born in California, and early on in his life, Najee had no true place to call home.

Harris went up and down the west coast, going as far as Seattle and even to a place called ‘The Soup Kitchen,' a place in which the ‘food was in the basement… ants were everywhere’ Najee recalled in a 24/7 sports article,

Najee talked about his upbringing at the Rose Bowl Media Day, saying, “I overcame a lot at a young age. I wouldn’t take any of it back, I learned a lot from it, financially to being grateful to the little things.”

Harris eventually found his place in Antioch, California, where he became Antioch High School’s all-time leading rusher by the time he was a sophomore!

Now at Alabama, Najee’s eyes are set on the Rose Bowl game in which Alabama takes on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, competing for a spot in the CFP National Championship.

A truly humble 22-year-old, Najee’s past has made him stronger, smarter, and grateful. He now looks to add another Championship to his name, winning as a freshman in 2017.

Photo via CBS Sports and Bama Hammer