Charlotte 49ers red-shirt senior Tyriq Harris) has been named a semifinalist for the 2019 William V. Campbell Trophy presented by Mazda. The award, given by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame (NFF), recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
Harris, a native of Roanoke, Virginia, graduated cum laude with a degree in biology this past spring. A two-time team captain (2018 and 2019), Harris earned 2018 all-Conference USA Honorable Mention and was named 2018 third-team all-C-USA by Phil Steele. The three-year starter ranks seventh in career tackles (149) and fourth in career sacks (6.0).
This year, Harris was named to the Watch List for the 2019 Wuerffel Trophy, which is presented by the Chick-fil-A Foundation to the college football player who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement. In addition, he has been named to the 2019 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Nominee List, an annual award given to college football players for the impact they make off the field.
Community Service/Leadership
Harris is a member of the 49ers' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and is serving as an officer for the second straight season. For each of the last two years, Harris was named the SAAC's “Mr. 49er,”an award recognizing the outstanding participation of a male student-athlete.
He has twice attended the APPLE Training Institute, a program designed to promote student-athlete wellness and substance abuse prevention on college campuses, and he regularly visits Elevation eKidz, the children's ministry of Elevation Church for children six weeks through fifth grade. Harris also has visited students at Weddington Hills and Devonshire Elementary Schools and has volunteered at Kings Kitchen, during the #SAACCares Holiday Drive and distribution to Project 658 and campus blood drives.
Harris has participated at various special events in the area, such as the YMCA Miracle League All-Star Game, YMCA's Healthy Kids Day, Tim Tebow's Night to Shine, Charlotte's Dance Marathon, Dream on 3 campus visit and the Harrisburg (NC) 4th of July Parade.
Academic Excellence
Thanks to his efforts in the classroom, Harris, who graduated with a 3.67 GPA in biology (psychology minor), was named the 2018-19 Conference USA Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He made the 2017 and 2018 all-Conference USA Academic Teams and C-USA's Commissioner's Honor Roll three times (2016, 2017, 2018). He was named to the 2018 Google Cloud Academic all-District 3 Team, as selected by CoSIDA.
Athletic Success
Harris was named 2018 Third Team all-Conference USA by Phil Steele and was a 2018 Honorable Mention all-Conference USA choice by the league's coaches. The 49ers three-year starter is a two-time team captain and the 2018-19 C-USA Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He was a 2016 Conference USA all-Freshman team selection who entered the 2019 season with a team-best 24 consecutive starts. He ranks seventh all-time in career tackles and fourth in career sacks.
Harris has not played this season due to injury.