409:, so Harrell set out to learn a position he had never played. He played for the Gators freshman team, and earned a scholarship at the end of his first season. When he returned for his second season he had beefed up from 185 pounds to 220, and Dickey asked him to move to
730:
464:. He also played for the USFL's Tampa Bay Bandits from 1984 to 1985. During his two USFL seasons with the Bandits, he compiled three interceptions and 5.5 quarterback sacks.
483:
in Tampa, and in the next four years the
Panthers won two Florida Class 4A state championships. In February 2009, Harrell became the head coach of the Freedom Patriots of
666:
877:
587:
862:
553:
867:
706:
635:
381:
Harrell turned down athletic scholarships from smaller colleges; he wanted to play for a major college football program. He attended the
857:
509:
847:
806:
514:
484:
424:
Harrell returned to
Gainesville during the NFL off-season and completed his bachelor's degree in public relations in 1984.
226:
872:
495:
preparatory school in Tampa. Harrell was previously an assistant coach at Jesuit for eleven seasons from 1994 to 2004.
882:
821:
789:
774:
759:
618:
398:
394:
366:
97:
852:
643:, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 85 & 182 (2011). Retrieved August 29, 2011.
504:
330:
235:
550:
117:
683:
488:
480:
405:
who wanted to play linebacker, but Dickey discouraged it and said that the Gators needed more depth at
220:
214:
467:
During his eight NFL seasons, Harrell appeared in eighty-nine games and started thirty-two of them.
444:
season. The
Detroit Lions claimed him off waivers, and he played eight seasons for the Lions from
326:
421:
play. As a senior in 1978, he finally became a principal back-up and saw significant game time.
390:
107:
537:
487:
in Tampa, and, in 2010, he accepted an offer to be the head coach of the Tampa Jesuit Tigers of
301:
842:
703:
653:
632:
476:
382:
338:
837:
437:
370:
8:
612:
346:
185:
817:
802:
785:
770:
755:
350:
318:
160:
402:
334:
258:
168:
164:
797:
710:
639:
557:
461:
457:
453:
449:
445:
441:
414:
189:
179:
175:
154:
150:
140:
782:
Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the
Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told
492:
433:
362:
136:
65:
831:
418:
410:
406:
342:
146:
814:
The
Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football
269:
607:(Volume 18 ed.). Tampa, Florida: Bryn Alan. 1975. pp. 150, 212.
386:
752:
University of
Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators
322:
38:
588:
A sweet homecoming: Lions' James
Harrell refused to give up on himself
317:(born July 19, 1957) is an American former college and professional
767:
Go Gators! An Oral
History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory
333:(USFL) for nine seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He played
280:
801:, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000).
417:, but he became a serious student and threw himself into his
798:
Fightin' Gators: A History of
University of Florida Football
769:, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002).
816:, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998).
784:, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002).
594:, p. 1-C (October 1, 1981). Retrieved August 7, 2010.
754:, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007).
673:, p. 14B (March 24, 1984). Retrieved August 7, 2010.
440:
in May 1979, but waived him before the start of the
667:
Bandits Sign Ex-Lion
Harrell to Multi-Year Contract
385:in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach
341:, and thereafter, he played professionally for the
725:
723:
582:
580:
578:
576:
574:
572:
570:
568:
566:
878:Players of American football from Tampa, Florida
829:
737:(February 12, 2010). Retrieved August 5, 2010.
720:
460:, and one season for the Kansas City Chiefs in
717:(February 4, 2009). Retrieved August 5, 2010.
698:
696:
690:(December 6, 2006). Retrieved August 5, 2010.
652:National Football League, Historical Players,
563:
16:American football player and coach (born 1957)
202:* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
532:
530:
731:Jesuit hires Harrell as head football coach
693:
625:
543:
646:
527:
863:George D. Chamberlain High School alumni
633:2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide
868:High school football coaches in Florida
510:List of Florida Gators in the NFL draft
830:
427:
684:Odd couple equals one stellar defense
536:Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players,
470:
515:List of University of Florida alumni
13:
14:
894:
704:James Harrell to coach at Freedom
376:
76:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
858:Florida Gators football players
744:
549:databaseFootball.com, Players,
475:In 2005, Harrell became the co-
676:
659:
597:
232:Jesuit High School (2010–2012)
1:
848:American football linebackers
617:: CS1 maint: date and year (
520:
505:List of Detroit Lions players
356:
331:United States Football League
236:Kentucky Christian University
656:. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
560:. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
540:. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
373:for the Chamberlain Chiefs.
7:
498:
315:James Clarence Harrell, Jr.
10:
899:
873:Kansas City Chiefs players
479:for the Plant Panthers of
883:Tampa Bay Bandits players
709:February 8, 2009, at the
308:
298:
294:
279:
268:
257:
253:
248:
244:
211:
206:
198:
133:
128:
123:
113:
103:
93:
88:
84:224 lb (102 kg)
80:
72:
49:
44:
34:
29:
369:in Tampa, and he played
327:National Football League
21:American football player
671:Sarasota Herald-Tribune
592:The Evening Independent
413:. Still, he was not a
391:Florida Gators football
367:Chamberlain High School
638:April 2, 2012, at the
556:June 10, 2011, at the
365:in 1957. He attended
98:Tampa (FL) Chamberlain
853:Detroit Lions players
477:defensive coordinator
436:signed Harrell as an
383:University of Florida
339:University of Florida
249:Career NFL statistics
795:McCarthy, Kevin M.,
438:undrafted free agent
371:high school football
361:Harrell was born in
45:Personal information
715:St. Peterburg Times
688:St Petersburg Times
485:Freedom High School
428:Professional career
349:of the NFL and the
227:Freedom High School
26:
765:Golenbock, Peter,
489:Jesuit High School
471:Life after the NFL
347:Kansas City Chiefs
215:Jesuit High School
186:Kansas City Chiefs
89:Career information
24:
812:Nash, Noel, ed.,
807:978-0-7385-0559-6
735:The Tampa Tribune
481:Plant High School
351:Tampa Bay Bandits
321:player who was a
312:
311:
290:
289:
221:Plant High School
161:Tampa Bay Bandits
890:
780:Hairston, Jack,
738:
729:Nick Williams, "
727:
718:
700:
691:
680:
674:
663:
657:
650:
644:
629:
623:
622:
616:
608:
601:
595:
586:James Walston, "
584:
561:
547:
541:
534:
335:college football
299:Player stats at
255:
254:
201:
124:Career history
63:
59:
57:
27:
23:
898:
897:
893:
892:
891:
889:
888:
887:
828:
827:
750:Carlson, Norm,
747:
742:
741:
728:
721:
711:Wayback Machine
701:
694:
681:
677:
664:
660:
651:
647:
640:Wayback Machine
630:
626:
610:
609:
603:
602:
598:
585:
564:
558:Wayback Machine
548:
544:
535:
528:
523:
501:
473:
430:
379:
359:
199:
174:Detroit Lions (
64:
61:
55:
53:
22:
17:
12:
11:
5:
896:
886:
885:
880:
875:
870:
865:
860:
855:
850:
845:
840:
826:
825:
810:
793:
778:
763:
746:
743:
740:
739:
719:
692:
682:Scott Purks, "
675:
658:
645:
624:
605:Totem Yearbook
596:
562:
542:
525:
524:
522:
519:
518:
517:
512:
507:
500:
497:
472:
469:
434:Denver Broncos
429:
426:
378:
377:College career
375:
363:Tampa, Florida
358:
355:
329:(NFL) and the
310:
309:
306:
305:
296:
295:
292:
291:
288:
287:
284:
277:
276:
273:
266:
265:
262:
251:
250:
246:
245:
242:
241:
240:
239:
238:(2013–present)
233:
230:
224:
218:
209:
208:
204:
203:
196:
195:
194:
193:
183:
172:
158:
144:
137:Denver Broncos
131:
130:
126:
125:
121:
120:
115:
111:
110:
105:
101:
100:
95:
91:
90:
86:
85:
82:
78:
77:
74:
70:
69:
66:Tampa, Florida
51:
47:
46:
42:
41:
36:
32:
31:
30:No. 51, 58, 50
20:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
895:
884:
881:
879:
876:
874:
871:
869:
866:
864:
861:
859:
856:
854:
851:
849:
846:
844:
843:Living people
841:
839:
836:
835:
833:
823:
822:1-57167-196-X
819:
815:
811:
808:
804:
800:
799:
794:
791:
790:1-58261-514-4
787:
783:
779:
776:
775:0-9650782-1-3
772:
768:
764:
761:
760:0-7948-2298-3
757:
753:
749:
748:
736:
732:
726:
724:
716:
712:
708:
705:
702:Izzy Gould, "
699:
697:
689:
685:
679:
672:
668:
662:
655:
654:James Harrell
649:
642:
641:
637:
634:
628:
620:
614:
606:
600:
593:
589:
583:
581:
579:
577:
575:
573:
571:
569:
567:
559:
555:
552:
551:James Harrell
546:
539:
538:James Harrell
533:
531:
526:
516:
513:
511:
508:
506:
503:
502:
496:
494:
490:
486:
482:
478:
468:
465:
463:
459:
455:
451:
447:
443:
439:
435:
425:
422:
420:
419:special teams
416:
412:
411:defensive end
408:
407:strong safety
404:
400:
396:
392:
388:
384:
374:
372:
368:
364:
354:
353:of the USFL.
352:
348:
344:
343:Detroit Lions
340:
336:
332:
328:
324:
320:
316:
307:
304:
303:
297:
293:
285:
282:
278:
274:
271:
270:Interceptions
267:
263:
260:
256:
252:
247:
243:
237:
234:
231:
228:
225:
222:
219:
216:
213:
212:
210:
205:
197:
191:
187:
184:
181:
177:
173:
170:
166:
162:
159:
156:
152:
148:
147:Detroit Lions
145:
142:
138:
135:
134:
132:
127:
122:
119:
116:
112:
109:
106:
102:
99:
96:
92:
87:
83:
79:
75:
71:
67:
62:(age 67)
60:July 19, 1957
52:
48:
43:
40:
37:
33:
28:
25:James Harrell
19:
813:
796:
781:
766:
751:
745:Bibliography
734:
714:
687:
678:
670:
661:
648:
631:
627:
604:
599:
591:
545:
491:, a private
474:
466:
431:
423:
401:. He was a
380:
360:
314:
313:
300:
129:As a player:
94:High school:
18:
838:1957 births
387:Doug Dickey
223:(2005–2008)
217:(1994–2004)
207:As a coach:
832:Categories
521:References
393:team from
357:Early life
323:linebacker
283:recovered:
114:Undrafted:
56:1957-07-19
39:Linebacker
613:cite book
452:and from
35:Position:
707:Archived
636:Archived
554:Archived
499:See also
493:Catholic
337:for the
319:football
104:College:
415:starter
403:walk-on
325:in the
281:Fumbles
108:Florida
81:Weight:
73:Height:
820:
805:
788:
773:
758:
229:(2009)
200:
68:, U.S.
259:Sacks
50:Born:
818:ISBN
803:ISBN
786:ISBN
771:ISBN
756:ISBN
619:link
462:1987
458:1986
454:1985
450:1983
446:1979
442:1979
432:The
399:1978
395:1975
345:and
190:1987
180:1986
176:1985
169:1985
165:1984
155:1983
151:1979
141:1979
118:1979
733:,"
713:,"
686:,"
669:,"
590:,"
456:to
448:to
397:to
389:'s
302:PFR
264:2.5
834::
722:^
695:^
615:}}
611:{{
565:^
529:^
143:)*
58:)
824:.
809:.
792:.
777:.
762:.
665:"
621:)
286:4
275:1
272::
261::
192:)
188:(
182:)
178:–
171:)
167:-
163:(
157:)
153:–
149:(
139:(
54:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.