Cliff Harris

Cliff Harris is regarded as one of football's all-time greats, having established himself among the National Football League's elite performers following a stellar collegiate career.

In 2020 he was selected to become a member of the prestigious Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Born in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Cliff attended Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, where he earned a degree in math with a minor in physics. As the Cowboys’ free safety, he quickly became known and feared for his reckless pursuit of ball carriers.

After winning his starting position for the Cowboys, Cliff's rookie season was interrupted by a tour of duty in the United States Army in 1970. Upon his return he regained his starting position and emerged as the NFL's finest free safety. He was a team leader in interceptions, punt returns and kickoff returns. As a reckless retuner, today he still holds playoff kickoff and punt return records.

During his 10-year career with the Cowboys, Cliff played in a record five Super Bowls, was named to six Pro Bowl squads, and was named First Team All-NFL for four successive seasons. In 1975 he was voted the Cowboys Favorite Player.

Following his retirement from football in 1980, Cliff was voted to the Dallas Cowboys Silver Season All-Time Team and voted the All-Time Free Safety of the Dallas Cowboys. Sports Illustrated named Cliff as their Dream Team Free Safety and to their all-time Cowboy Super Bowl team. He was also awarded the NFL Alumni Legend's Award.

One of only twenty-one Dallas Cowboys, in 2004 Cliff was inducted into the prestigious Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor. He was also inducted to the NAIA Hall of Fame, the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. He was named Arkansas Pro Athlete of the Year in 1975 and 1978.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee named Cliff the free safety on the All-Pro Team of the 1970's. He has been a finalist in the voting for the NFL Hall of Fame 2014

A national award is given in Cliff’s honor every year, the Cliff Harris Award goes to the Small College Defensive Player of the Year and in 2014, Ouachita Baptist University replaced their old stadium with the new Cliff Harris Stadium.

Cliff is active in civic affairs; he is presently serving on the board of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and has a charity golf tournament (The Cliff Harris Reunion Golf Classic) that has raised several million dollars. Over the years he has also served on several boards including the National Paralysis Foundation, NFL Alumni, American Diabetes Association and CASA. He was placed into the Dallas CASA “Hall of Fame” for his contributions. He has also served as the President of the Ouachita Baptist Former Students Association. In his hometown of Hot Springs, Arkansas he hosts a Fellowship of Christian Athletes golf tournament that was started by Tom Landry.

Today, Cliff Harris resides in Dallas, Texas. He is a principal in Energy Transfer Technologies, an environmentally friendly natural gas compression company that specializes in the maximization of energy operations.

The NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee named Cliff the free safety on the All-Pro Team of the 1970's. For many years he was a finalist in the voting for the NFL Hall of Fame.