Throughout NFL history, the Dallas Cowboys have had a lot of success. One former player who won multiple Super Bowls with the Cowboys is Cliff Harris. Harris had a successful career in Dallas and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In 2013, he had an award dedicated to him called the Cliff Harris Award, which recognizes the top defensive player in the country representing Division II, III, and NAIA colleges and universities. One thing people may not know about Harris is the number of kids he has.

Cliff Harris was a standout athlete in college before joining the Cowboys

Harris is a native of Fayetteville, Arkansas. He only received only one college scholarship out of high school, which was to Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas. Ouachita Baptist is a Division II school, and during his time there, Harris was a standout defensive back. Harris also spent time as a kick returner, and during his time at Ouachita Baptist, he was a two-time All-Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference selection. 

During his freshman season, he was a part of the Ouachita Baptist team that won the 1966 AIC Football Championship. After his collegiate career, Harris was ready to start his professional career. During the 1970 NFL draft, Harris was not selected by a team, but the Cowboys invited him to training camp. The Cowboys decided to sign Harris as a free agent after an impressive performance during training camp.

As a rookie, Harris earned the starting free safety position. He had to miss the second half of the 1970 season due to military service. But he returned to help the Cowboys win the Super Bowl in 1971. He finished his rookie season with two interceptions and three fumble recoveries.

Cliff Harris became a top player playing for the Cowboys

Throughout his career in Dallas, Harris blossomed into one of the top defensive players in the league. When Harris was in the starting lineup, the Cowboys’ defense ranked top 10 in the league. He played an integral part in the defense, and his presence was known whenever he stepped on the field. Harris won his second Super Bowl title with the Cowboys during the 1977 season.

He finished his career with 29 interceptions and 18 fumble recoveries. During his career, he was selected to six Pro Bowls and was a five-time All-Pro selection. The talented safety was selected to the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team and was selected to the Cowboys Ring of Honor.

Cowboys legend has six kids

In addition to having an award named after him, Harris’ college alma mater named their new football stadium after him. The Cliff Harris Stadium was introduced in 2014. Recently, Harris received the ultimate honor when he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in January of 2020. 

Harris lives in Texas and is the father of six children, and as of 2018, he has seven grandchildren. He has three daughters and three sons. One of his sons followed in his footsteps and played football. Matt Harris played college football at Arkansas, and in 2010 he signed a free-agent deal with the Cleveland Browns. Though he never saw any time in the NFL, Matt had the opportunity to pursue his NFL career. Cliff left his legacy with the Cowboys and in college football, and he will be a name that Cowboys fans will remember.