Derrick Harmon
Encyclopedia
Derrick Todd Harmon is a former professional American football
player who played running back
for the San Francisco 49ers
from 1984 to 1986.
Harmon played college football
at Cornell University
, where he still holds numerous records. He was a two-time Academic All-American, a member of the Associated Press Division I-AA All-America second team, and a two-time member of the All-Ivy first team. He received the Asa Bushnell
Award as the Ivy League
Player of the Year, and was named Cornell's first ever Sophomore of the Year in 1981 (now renamed Rookie of the Year). Harmon was the fourth person in Ivy League
history to go over 1,000 yards in one season, running 1,056 yards in seven Ivy games in 1983. He was voted the team's Most Valuable Player and was named the Athlete of the Year of by The Cornell Daily Sun
and The Ithaca Journal
. Harmon graduated as an engineering physics major in 1984 and was a member of the Quill and Dagger
society.
In 1984, Harmon was drafted to the National Football League
in the ninth round by the San Francisco 49ers
. It was not until 1997 that another Cornellian was drafted by the NFL. He played in the Super Bowl XIX
win against the Miami Dolphins
in 1985 and was the first alumnus of Cornell University
to win a Super Bowl
ring.
Harmon was inducted into the Cornell University
Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989. He is the brother of NFL player Ronnie Harmon
.
Derrick was an engineering student and later pursued a career in academics.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who played running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
from 1984 to 1986.
Harmon 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 Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, where he still holds numerous records. He was a two-time Academic All-American, a member of the Associated Press Division I-AA All-America second team, and a two-time member of the All-Ivy first team. He received the Asa Bushnell
Asa Bushnell
Asa Smith Bushnell III was the first commissioner of the Eastern College Athletic Conference, serving from 1938 to 1970 , and was board member and secretary of the United States Olympic Committee, editing, co-editing and/or writing "Olympic Books" at least from 1948-65...
Award as the Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
Player of the Year, and was named Cornell's first ever Sophomore of the Year in 1981 (now renamed Rookie of the Year). Harmon was the fourth person in Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
history to go over 1,000 yards in one season, running 1,056 yards in seven Ivy games in 1983. He was voted the team's Most Valuable Player and was named the Athlete of the Year of by The Cornell Daily Sun
The Cornell Daily Sun
The Cornell Daily Sun is an independent daily newspaper published in Ithaca, New York by students at Cornell University. It is the oldest independent college daily in the United States....
and The Ithaca Journal
The Ithaca Journal
The Ithaca Journal is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper published in Ithaca, New York. It is locally edited and printed in Johnson City, New York and publishes Monday through Saturday. It has been owned by Gannett since 1912.-Daily newspaper:...
. Harmon graduated as an engineering physics major in 1984 and was a member of the Quill and Dagger
Quill and Dagger
Quill and Dagger is a senior honor society at Cornell University. It is often recognized as one of the most prominent collegiate societies of its type, along with Skull and Bones of Yale University...
society.
In 1984, Harmon was drafted to the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
in the ninth round by the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. It was not until 1997 that another Cornellian was drafted by the NFL. He played in the Super Bowl XIX
Super Bowl XIX
Super Bowl XIX was an American football game played on January 20, 1985 at Stanford Stadium, on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford, California, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1984 regular season...
win against the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1985 and was the first alumnus of Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
to win a Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
ring.
Harmon was inducted into the Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989. He is the brother of NFL player Ronnie Harmon
Ronnie Harmon
Ronnie Keith Harmon is a former professional American football player. After a standout career at the University of Iowa in the Big Ten Conference, he played for 12 seasons in the NFL. A 6", 220-lb...
.
Derrick was an engineering student and later pursued a career in academics.