Deonte Harris has often been overlooked because of his size. Listed at 5-foot-6 and 170 pounds, Harris didn’t draw the interest of any major football powerhouses, so he played in college at Assumption, a Division II school, where he set the NCAA’s all-time record for touchdown returns. He went undrafted this year, but the Saints picked him up, and now he’s having an oversized impact in New Orleans.
On Sunday Harris had 213 all-purpose yards, with 155 on kickoff returns, 37 on punt returns, 13 receiving and eight rushing. Harris is leading the NFL in punt returns, and Saints coach Sean Payton said Harris has a good feel for when to bring the ball out of the end zone on kickoffs and has made a difference there.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees has been impressed with what Harris brings to the team.
“We brought [almost] every kickoff out of the end zone and we hit on a couple of those,” Brees said, via NOLA.com. “We’ve got a great return man, let’s see if he can break one of these. . . . Those are difference-makers, that’s momentum.”
Harris has quickly gone from overlooked little man to a big-time playmaker on a Super Bowl contender.