Damian Harrell
Encyclopedia
Damian Deron Harrell is an arena football
Arena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....

 wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...

 who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....

 in the Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...

. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...

 at Florida State University
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...

.

In his career, Harrell has also played for the New England Sea Wolves
Toronto Phantoms
The Toronto Phantoms was the final name of a team in the Arena Football League, that also operated in New York City and Hartford, Connecticut.-New York CityHawks :The team began in 1997 as the New York CityHawks...

, Toronto Phantoms, and Colorado Crush
Colorado Crush
Colorado Crush were an Arena Football League team that began play as a 2003 expansion team. The Crush played in the Central Division of the American Conference until the Arena Football League suspended operations in 2009...

 and Chicago Rush
Chicago Rush
The Chicago Rush is an arena football team based in Rosemont, Illinois. It is a member of the Central Division of the National Conference of the Arena Football League. The team was founded in 2001 and is co-owned by Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame player and coach.The Rush have qualified for the...

. He has also been named AFL Offensive Player of the Year twice (2005
2005 Arena Football League season
The 2005 Arena Football League season was the 19th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Colorado Crush, who defeated the Georgia Force in ArenaBowl XIX. The AFL changed its playoff format to allow the top four teams per conference to make the playoffs. Previously, the...

 and 2006
2006 Arena Football League season
The 2006 Arena Football League season was the 20th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Chicago Rush, who defeated the Orlando Predators in ArenaBowl XX....

), First Team All-Arena twice (2005 and 2006), Second Team All-Arena twice (2004
2004 Arena Football League season
The 2004 Arena Football League season was the 18th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the San Jose SaberCats, who defeated the Arizona Rattlers in ArenaBowl XVIII...

 and 2007
2007 Arena Football League season
The 2007 Arena Football League season was the 21st season of the Arena Football League. The regular season began play on March 1, 2007 and concluded on June 25...

), AFL Offensive Player of the Month twice (February 2003 and April 2006), Offensive Player of the Game 24 times, and Game MVP 10 times. He also holds numerous Arena Football League records.

High school career

At South Miami Senior High School, Harrell lettered
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...

 in both football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....

 and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

. During his junior
Eleventh grade
Eleventh Grade is the eleventh, and for some countries final, grade of secondary schools. Students are typically 16 or 17 years of age, depending on the country and the students' birthdays.-Brazil:...

 year, he was once struck by lightning during practice and was hospitalized for nearly two weeks. He returned to the field for the final three games of the season.

Community College career

Harrell attended the City College of San Francisco
City College of San Francisco
City College of San Francisco, or CCSF, is a two-year community college in San Francisco, California. The Ocean Avenue campus, in the Ingleside neighborhood, is the college's primary location...

 for two years. He finished his community college
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...

 football career with 67 receptions for 1,160 yards (17.31 avg.), and seventeen touchdowns.

Florida State University

Harrell played two seasons at Florida State University (1995
1995 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Alliance and was a relatively calm year compared to the early 1990s.Tom Osborne led Nebraska to its second straight national title with a victory over Florida in the Fiesta Bowl....

 and 1997
1997 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season, play of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I-A level, began in late summer 1997 and culminated with the major bowl games in early January 1998. The national championship was...

), catching 36 career passes for 466 yards and four touchdownss, after transferring from City College of San Francisco. He red-shirted for the 1996 season
1996 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Florida Gators crowned National Champions, but not as unanimously as the Bowl Alliance would have hoped....

 after undergoing reconstructive surgery on his left knee. Harrell had 13 receptions for 178 yards and three touchdowns in his first season at Florida State. He recorded 23 receptions for 288 yards as a senior in 1997 but tore ligaments in his right knee in the season finale against Florida
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...

 and missed the Seminoles win over Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...

 in the 1998 Sugar Bowl
1998 Sugar Bowl
The 1998 Sugar Bowl was played on January 1, 1998. This 64th edition to the Sugar Bowl featured the Ohio State Buckeyes, and the Florida State Seminoles...

.

New England Sea Wolves (1999 - 2000)

In 1999
1999 Arena Football League season
The 1999 Arena Football League season was the 13th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Albany Firebirds, who defeated the Orlando Predators in ArenaBowl XIII.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth...

, Harrell was signed by Mike Hohensee
Mike Hohensee
Michael Louis Hohensee is an American Arena Football League coach who is regarded as one of the best coaches in the history of the AFL. He was hired to guide the Soul's resumption of play after a two-year hiatus starting in 2011. He resigned on July 27, 2011...

 and the New England Sea Wolves
Toronto Phantoms
The Toronto Phantoms was the final name of a team in the Arena Football League, that also operated in New York City and Hartford, Connecticut.-New York CityHawks :The team began in 1997 as the New York CityHawks...

 on January 18, 1999. He made his league debut April 23 during a road game against the Florida Bobcats
Florida Bobcats
The Florida Bobcats are a defunct Arena Football League team. They had been previously known as the Sacramento Attack and the Miami Hooters.-Sacramento Attack :...

. He finished his rookie season with 25 receptions for 362 yards and nine touchdowns.

In 2000
2000 Arena Football League season
The 2000 Arena Football League season was the 14th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Orlando Predators, who defeated the Nashville Kats in ArenaBowl XIV.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth...

, Harrell played in the season’s first seven games before suffering a broken left forearm during a road game in Buffalo and missing the rest of the season. He finished the season with 61 receptions for 808 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also rushed for two touchdowns and returned a kickoff return 48 yards for a touchdown. He was the league's leading receiver when his injury cost him the rest of the season.

Toronto Phantoms (2001 - 2002)

In 2001
2001 Arena Football League season
The 2001 Arena Football League season was the 15th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Grand Rapids Rampage, who defeated the Nashville Kats in ArenaBowl XV.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth...

, Harrell moved with the Sea Wolves to Toronto. During the season he recorded 98 passes for 1,340 yards and 20 touchdowns while playing in all 14 regular season games for the Toronto Phantoms. He finished the season ranked eigtht in the AFL in receptions and fifth in receiving yards. He was named Game MVP three times during the regular season, and once in the playoffs. He had a season-high 10 receptions on the road against the Dragons and a season-high 140 yards receiving on the road against the Tampa Bay Storm
Tampa Bay Storm
The Tampa Bay Storm are an Arena Football League team based in the Tampa Bay Area of Florida. They play their home games in the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa....

.

In 2002
2002 Arena Football League season
The 2002 Arena Football League season was the 16th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the San Jose SaberCats, who defeated the Arizona Rattlers in ArenaBowl XVI...

, Harrell recorded 92 receptions for 1,277 yards and 19 touchdowns in 13 games, finishing the season ranked fifth in the league in receiving yards and sixth in receptions. He recorded seven passes for a season-high 145 yards and four touchdowns in an overtime loss to the Dragons on the final day of the season. He also had a season-high 10 receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown against the Indiana Firebirds.

Colorado Crush (2003 - 2007)

On December 12, 2002 Harrell signed with the Colorado Crush
Colorado Crush
Colorado Crush were an Arena Football League team that began play as a 2003 expansion team. The Crush played in the Central Division of the American Conference until the Arena Football League suspended operations in 2009...

.

In 2003
2003 Arena Football League season
The 2003 Arena Football League season was the 17th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Tampa Bay Storm, who defeated the Arizona Rattlers in ArenaBowl XVII. The AFL expanded its season to a 16-game schedule...

, he started 14 games, recording 97 receptions for 1,426 yards and 38 touchdowns. He finished the season ranked ninth in the league in receptions, eighth in receiving yards and fourth in scoring (234 points). He was placed on Injured Reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...

 and missed the season’s final two weeks with a dislocated left wrist suffered on the final play of the team’s overtime loss against the Predators
Orlando Predators
The Orlando Predators are an Arena Football League team based in Orlando, Florida that was founded in 1991. Their playoff streak is currently 19 seasons in a row, as of the season, becoming the ArenaBowl champions in 1998 and 2000...

. He caught a season-high 11 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns on the road against the Las Vegas Gladiators
Las Vegas Gladiators
The Cleveland Gladiators are an arena football franchise based in Cleveland, Ohio which plays in the Arena Football League. The team is part of the East division of the AFL's American Conference. The Gladiators play all of their home games at Quicken Loans Arena, which they share with the NBA's...

. He was named the AFL’s Offensive Player of the Month for February after catching 30 passes for 475 yards and 15 touchdowns in four games during the month. Harrell was voted MVP of the Game in Colorado’s first game in franchise history, February 2 against the Force. He recorded eight receptions for 135 yards and five touchdowns.

In 2004
2004 Arena Football League season
The 2004 Arena Football League season was the 18th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the San Jose SaberCats, who defeated the Arizona Rattlers in ArenaBowl XVIII...

, Harrell was voted Second Team All-Arena after recording 114 receptions for 1,715 yards and 43 touchdowns in 16 games. He finished the season ranked third in the league in receiving yards and scoring (258 points) and fifth in receptions. He was named Offensive Player of the Game seven times during the regular season and once in the playoffs. Harrell had 13 receptions for a career-high 208 yards and three touchdowns and was named Offensive Player of the Game on the road against the Detroit Fury
Detroit Fury
The Detroit Fury were an Arena Football League team. The team began play in 2001 and was based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, at The Palace of Auburn Hills, also the home of the NBA's Detroit Pistons. The team was co-owned by William Davidson, who owned the Pistons, along with...

. He was named Offensive Player of the Game after catching two touchdown passes in the game’s final 12 seconds to lead the team to a season-opening 43-42 win against the Gladiators.

In 2005
2005 Arena Football League season
The 2005 Arena Football League season was the 19th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Colorado Crush, who defeated the Georgia Force in ArenaBowl XIX. The AFL changed its playoff format to allow the top four teams per conference to make the playoffs. Previously, the...

, Harrell was named AFL Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Arena after recording 122 receptions for 1,486 yards and 41 touchdowns and helping lead Colorado to the ArenaBowl XIX
ArenaBowl XIX
ArenaBowl XIX was the 2005 championship game of the Arena Football League , and was played at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The first-ever neutral-site title game in AFL history drew 10,822 fans to see the Colorado Crush defeat the Georgia Force 51–48 to claim the Foster ArenaBowl...

 championship. He recorded eight receptions for 122 yards and two touchdowns in the ArenaBowl
ArenaBowl
The ArenaBowl is the Arena Football League's championship game. From 1987 to 2004, the ArenaBowl was hosted by either the team with the better regular-season record or the higher seeding in the playoffs. From ArenaBowl XIX in 2005 until ArenaBowl XXII in 2008, the game was played at a neutral site...

 win over the Force. He recorded a season-high 13 receptions for 130 yards and four touchdowns on the road against the New Orleans VooDoo
New Orleans VooDoo
The New Orleans VooDoo are an Arena Football League team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They play their home games in New Orleans Arena....

. He was named Offensive Player of the Game against the Los Angeles Avengers
Los Angeles Avengers
The Los Angeles Avengers was an Arena Football League team based in Los Angeles, California from 2000 through 2008. They folded on April 19, 2009.-History:...

 after recording 10 receptions for 135 yards and five touchdowns. He was also named Offensive Player of the Game three other times during the season, on the road against the Arizona Rattlers
Arizona Rattlers
The Arizona Rattlers are a professional arena football team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Conference in the Arena Football League . The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team. They play their home games at US Airways Center...

, against the Gladiators and against the Nashville Kats
Nashville Kats
The Nashville Kats were an Arena Football League team, located in Nashville, Tennessee. They were last coached by Pat Sperduto, who coached the team's original incarnation to two ArenaBowl appearances prior to the original franchise's move to Atlanta in 2002...

.

In 2006
2006 Arena Football League season
The 2006 Arena Football League season was the 20th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Chicago Rush, who defeated the Orlando Predators in ArenaBowl XX....

, Harrell was named AFL Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Arena for the second-consecutive season after setting career highs with 152 receptions for 1,920 yards and a league record 60 touchdowns in 16 games. He was named AFL Offensive Player of the Month for April after recording 56 receptions for 642 yards and 21 touchdowns in just five games. This stretch included an against the Predators in which he recorded a career-high 15 receptions for 172 yards and five touchdowns and broke the league’s single season record for touchdowns, the old record was 46. Harrell was also voted AFL Offensive Player of the Week twice (Weeks 12 and 14) and named Offensive Player of the Game 10 times during the regular season.

In 2007
2007 Arena Football League season
The 2007 Arena Football League season was the 21st season of the Arena Football League. The regular season began play on March 1, 2007 and concluded on June 25...

, Harrell was voted Second Team All-Arena after recording 132 receptions for 1,547 yards and 47 touchdowns in 16 games. He finished the season tied for fourth in the league in receptions, fourth in scoring (282 points) and seventh in receiving yards. He was named Offensive Player of the Game for the third time, against the Gladiators after recording nine receptions for 91 yards and four touchdowns. He had 10 receptions for 159 yards and a season-high six touchdowns on the road against the Chicago Rush
Chicago Rush
The Chicago Rush is an arena football team based in Rosemont, Illinois. It is a member of the Central Division of the National Conference of the Arena Football League. The team was founded in 2001 and is co-owned by Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame player and coach.The Rush have qualified for the...

. He recorded a season-high 14 receptions for a season-high 181 yards and three touchdowns on the road against the Philadelphia Soul
Philadelphia Soul
The Philadelphia Soul are an Arena Football League team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They began play in as an expansion team. The team plays in the Eastern Division of the American Conference. They won their first ArenaBowl in 2008, defeating the San Jose SaberCats 59–56 in ArenaBowl XXII...

. He was then named Offensive Player of the Game after recording 10 receptions for 154 yards and four touchdowns against the Rattlers. Harrell was named Offensive Player of the Game after recording eight receptions for 95 yards and three touchdownss in a season-opening loss to the Grand Rapids Rampage
Grand Rapids Rampage
The Grand Rapids Rampage was an Arena Football League team that began playing as a 1998 expansion team. They were coached by Steve Thonn.-History:...

.

Chicago Rush (2008)

On November 2, 2007, Harrell signed a three-year contract with the Chicago Rush. He began the 2008 season
2008 Arena Football League season
The 2008 Arena Football League season was the 22nd season of the Arena Football League and final season before the 2009 cancellation. The regular season began play on February 29, 2008 and concluded on June 22...

 ranked second in league history in touchdown receptions (295), third in receiving yards (11,881) and fourth in receptions (893). He also ranked second in career 100-yard receiving games (58) and fourth in career five touchdown games (13).

In 2008, Harrell appeared in 15 games for the Rush, recording 94 receptions for 1,173 yards 25 touchdowns. In Week 2, he recorded his season high in receiving touchdowns with three. During Week 13 against the Utah Blaze
Utah Blaze
The Utah Blaze is a professional arena football team based in Salt Lake City, Utah and competes in the West division of the Arena Football League. Home games are played at the EnergySolutions Arena.-The original Utah Blaze :...

, he tied his season-high in receptions with 10, and recorded a season-high 147 yards.

Harrell finished the season ranked fourth in league history in receptions (987), third in receiving yards (13,075), and first in receiving touchdowns (321). However, on August 28, 2008, he was released by the Rush.

Milwaukee (2010-2011)

After taking a year off, Harrell return to the game as member of the Milwaukee Iron
Milwaukee Iron
The Milwaukee Mustangs are a professional arena football team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They are currently members of the Arena Football League , which they joined in 2010 during the league's restructuring...

 in 2010. His first season with the team, he pulled in 100 receptions for 1,258 yards and 28 touchdowns.

In 2011, the Iron changed their names to the Milwaukee Mustangs
Milwaukee Mustangs
The Milwaukee Mustangs were an Arena Football League team. They played from 1994 to 2001 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin's Bradley Center.-History:The team was founded in 1994 amidst rumors that the Green Bay Packers would soon stop playing games in Milwaukee, something they'd been doing since 1936...

, and Harrell was once again a member of the team. Harrell as since become the AFL's all time best receiver, as he now ranks 1st in receptions (1,164), receiving yards (12,134) and touchdowns (358).

Personal

Harrell, along with his wife, Melani live in Denver during the off-season. They have two children, Deron, Malia. In May 1998, he received a bachelor’s degree in criminology from Florida State University.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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