Graham Stanton Harrell (born May 22, 1985) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
coach and former
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
, who is the current
offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of an American football or Canadian football team who is in charge of the team's offense. Generally, along with the defensive coordinator and the special teams coordinator, this coach re ...
for the
Purdue Boilermakers
The Purdue Boilermakers are the official intercollegiate athletics teams representing Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana. As is common with athletic nicknames, the Boilermakers nickname is also used as colloquial designation ...
. He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at
Texas Tech
Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...
from 2004 to 2008. He played in the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
(CFL)
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) for 5 seasons from 2009 to 2013, with his longest tenure as a player with the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
. He served as the offensive coordinator of the
North Texas Mean Green
North Texas Mean Green (formerly North Texas Eagles) represents the University of North Texas (UNT) in intercollegiate athletics. The teams compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). North Texas competed in th ...
(2016–2018),
USC Trojans
The USC Trojans are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC), located in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the ' ...
(2019–2021) and the
West Virginia Mountaineers
The West Virginia Mountaineers are the athletic teams that represent West Virginia University, an American university located in Morgantown, West Virginia. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I. The Moun ...
(2022).
Harrell was born in
Brownwood, Texas
Brownwood is a city in and the county seat of Brown County, Texas, United States. The population was 18,862 at th2020 census Brownwood is located in the Northern Texas Hill Country and is home to Howard Payne University that was founded in 1889.
...
. He attended high school in
Ennis, Texas
Ennis () is a city in eastern Ellis County, Texas. It is on the edge of the blackland prairie region of Texas. The population is 20,159 according to the 2020 census, with an estimated population of 21,210 in 2021. Ennis is home to the annual Nat ...
. After high school graduation, he enroll at
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...
and played quarterback for the Red Raiders, starting for three seasons. As a fifth-senior in 2008, he was named All-American quarterback,
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
finalist in 2008, and set
school
A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...
, conference and national records for passing yards, attempts, completions, and touchdown passes.
After going undrafted in the
2009 NFL Draft, he was signed by the
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division.
The Roughriders were founded in 1 ...
of the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
in 2009. He was signed into the NFL in 2010 by the Green Bay Packers, where he was a part of the
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champi ...
win with the Packers over the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
. He was also a member of the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
.
Early years
Harrell was born to Sam and Kathy Harrell in
Brownwood, Texas
Brownwood is a city in and the county seat of Brown County, Texas, United States. The population was 18,862 at th2020 census Brownwood is located in the Northern Texas Hill Country and is home to Howard Payne University that was founded in 1889.
...
, where his father was an assistant under legendary Texas high school football coach
Gordon Wood. His father was hired as head coach at
Ennis High School
Ennis High School is a public high school located in the city of Ennis, Texas, in Ellis County, United States and classified as a 5A school by the UIL. It is a part of the Ennis Independent School District located in southeast Ellis County. ...
in
Ennis, Texas
Ennis () is a city in eastern Ellis County, Texas. It is on the edge of the blackland prairie region of Texas. The population is 20,159 according to the 2020 census, with an estimated population of 21,210 in 2021. Ennis is home to the annual Nat ...
. Harrell played at EHS under his father's coaching. He was the starting quarterback for three seasons and led the Ennis Lions to a state
Class 4A title as a sophomore in 2001. He also played in the 2004
Oil Bowl
The Oil Bowl was a college football bowl game played three times at Rice Field in Houston, Texas in the 1940s. Muddy conditions for the first game, and freezing temperatures for the third game, doomed future contests. In 1949, a junior college bow ...
, receiving the offensive MVP award.
Harrell set Texas high school records in these categories:
* Single-season passing yards (4,825 in 2003 over 13 games; the next two quarterbacks on the list set their records over 16-game seasons). This record stood until 2007 when it was broken by
Lake Travis
Lake Travis is a reservoir on the Colorado River in central Texas in the United States.
Serving principally as a flood-control reservoir, Lake Travis' historical minimum to maximum water height change is nearly 100 feet. In 2018 alone, it saw ...
quarterback
Garrett Gilbert
Garrett Antone Gilbert (born July 1, 1991) is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. The son of former NFL quarterback Gale Gilbert, he played college football at Texas and SMU.
Joining the NFL in 2014, Gilbert was primarily ass ...
.
* Career passing yards (12,532 from 2000–2003; Broken by Gilbert in 2008).
* Single-season touchdown passes (67 in 2003)
* Career touchdown passes (167 from 2000–2003)
* Single-season pass completions (334 in 2003; also broken by Gilbert, who recorded 359 completions in 2007).
In addition, Harrell ranks second in career pass completions (805 from 2000–2003).
Playing career
College career
Freshman and redshirt freshman seasons
In 2004, Harrell
redshirted
Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...
his first season at
Texas Tech
Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...
. The following season, he served as the backup quarterback behind another Texas Tech record setter,
Cody Hodges
Cody Hodges (born November 20, 1982) is a philanthropist, motivational speaker, and former professional American football player, playing in the National Football League, Arena Football League, and the Arena League 2. Hodges is best known for his ...
, who led college football in passing yards in 2005.
Sophomore season
Harrell started in every game of the 2006 season, beating out classmate
Chris Todd
Christopher Richard Todd (born 22 August 1981) is a Welsh retired footballer who played as a defender and current assistant manager of Yeovil Town.
Playing career Swansea City
Born in Swansea, Todd began his career as a trainee with his home ...
. Harrell got the Raiders off to a quick start with wins over
Southern Methodist University
, mottoeng = "The truth will make you free"
, established =
, type = Private research university
, accreditation = SACS
, academic_affiliations =
, religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church
, president = R. Gerald Turner
, prov ...
,
The University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a public research university in El Paso, Texas. It is a member of the University of Texas System. UTEP is the second-largest university in the United States to have a majority Mexican American stud ...
,
Southeastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University (Southeastern) is a public university in Hammond, Louisiana. It was founded in 1925 by Linus A. Sims as Hammond Junior College. Sims succeeded in getting the campus moved to north Hammond in 1928, when it becam ...
and conference rival the
Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M Aggies refers to the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University. The nickname " Aggie" was once common at land-grant or "ag" (agriculture) schools in many states. The teams are also referred to as "A&M" or "Texas Agg ...
. The lone Red Raider loss was to
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University (TCU) is a private research university in Fort Worth, Texas. It was established in 1873 by brothers Addison and Randolph Clark as the Add-Ran Male & Female College. It is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples ...
, 12–3 in the third game of the season. Despite the 4–1 start, Harrell was benched halfway through the next game due to poor play after the Raiders fell behind the
Missouri Tigers
The Missouri Tigers intercollegiate athletics programs represent the University of Missouri, located in Columbia. The name comes from a band of armed Union Home Guards called the Fighting Tigers of Columbia who, in 1864, protected Columbia fro ...
24–0, and Todd was inserted for two series. Harrell came back into the game and got the Raiders within 3 points before the half but struggled in the second half as Tech lost 38–21. The next week against a winless
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
team that Tech was heavily favored to beat, Harrell once again was benched in favor of Todd for a 4 interception game resulting in a 30–6 loss. However, Harrell rebounded to throw for 6 touchdowns against the
Iowa State Cyclones
The Iowa State Cyclones are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Iowa State University, located in Ames. The university is a member of the Big 12 Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 16 varsity teams (6 men's an ...
and then threw for 519 yards and 3 touchdowns against the
Texas Longhorns
The Texas Longhorns are the athletic teams representing the University of Texas at Austin. The teams are sometimes referred to as the Horns and take their name from Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and a ...
in a narrow 35–31 loss. The Raiders finished the season with a 55–21 win against the Baylor Bears, a 34–24 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners, and a 30–24 win against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Texas Tech finished the regular season 7–5 (4–4 in the Big 12) and received an invitation to the
2006 Insight Bowl. The 7–5 Red Raiders faced off against the 6–6 Minnesota Golden Gophers at the
2006 Insight Bowl in
Tempe, Arizona
, settlement_type = City
, named_for = Vale of Tempe
, image_skyline = Tempeskyline3.jpg
, imagesize = 260px
, image_caption = Tempe skyline as se ...
. Texas Tech struggled on both offense and defense during first 3 quarters of the Insight Bowl. The
Minnesota Golden Gophers
The Minnesota Golden Gophers (commonly shortened to Gophers) are the college sports teams of the University of Minnesota. The university fields a total of 25 (12 men's, 13 women's) teams in both men's and women's sports and competes in the Big Te ...
outscored Tech 38–7 through the end of the 3rd quarter. The Red Raiders, sparked by a 43-yard touchdown from Harrell to
Joel Filani
Joel O. Filani (born December 8, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver, and is the current wide receivers coach for the Washington State Cougars Football Team. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL ...
, went on to outscore the Gophers 31–0 through the end of regulation sending the game into overtime. On the final drive, Harrell drove the Red Raider offense almost 70 yards in less than a minute to set up the game-tying field goal by
Alex Trlica
Alex Trlica (born August 11, 1984) is a former American football placekicker for the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team.[NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...](_blank)
FBS bowl history. Harrell threw for 445 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 rushing touchdown and was named the Offensive MVP.
Tech finished the year 8–5, their 13th straight winning season, and their fifth straight season with at least 8 wins 4th bowl win out of the previous 5 seasons. He threw for 38 touchdowns and 4,555 passing yards, the third-most by a sophomore in
NCAA Division I FBS
The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...
history and the most ever thrown by a sophomore in the history of the
Big 12
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its f ...
.
Junior season
Harrell passed on entering the
2007 NFL Draft. He continued the success of the previous season, mainly due to the addition of All-American Wideout
Michael Crabtree
Michael Alex Crabtree Jr. (born September 14, 1987) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at Texas Tech, where he was a two-time unanimous All-Am ...
and the emergence of inside receivers
Danny Amendola
Daniel James Amendola (born November 2, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Texas Tech. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2008.
After spending his entire rookie season ...
and
Eric Morris. The Raiders started the season off with wins over the SMU Mustangs 49–9, the UTEP Miners 45–31, and the Rice Owls 59–24. Harrell then had a career day against the
Oklahoma State Cowboys
The Oklahoma State Cowboys and Cowgirls are the college athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Oklahoma State University–Stillwater, Oklahoma State University, located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Stillwater. ...
throwing for 5 touchdowns and 646 yards, however due to the poor play of the Tech defense, the Raiders lost to the Cowboys 49–45. Harrell was still given recognition as the AT&T player of the week for his performance despite the loss. The Raiders then reeled off lopsided wins over
Northwestern State
Northwestern State University of Louisiana (NSU) is a public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville/Fort Polk and Alexandria. It is a part of the Univer ...
,
Iowa State, and
Texas A&M
Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...
pushing their record to 6–1 and into the national rankings. Harrell being mentioned as a dark horse candidate for the
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
. The Raiders then dropped two games to Missouri and Colorado which knocked Tech out of the national conversation, but rebounded to beat Baylor 38–7. Harrell led the Red Raiders into Austin, Texas to face off against
Colt McCoy
Daniel "Colt" McCoy (born September 5, 1986) is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas, where he won several awards and honors as a senior in 2009. McC ...
and the Texas Longhorns, in a back and forth affair that Texas won 59–43 by simply outscoring Tech. The Raiders upset the # 4 ranked
Oklahoma Sooners
The Oklahoma Sooners are the athletic teams that represent the University of Oklahoma, located in Norman. The 19 men's and women's varsity teams are called the "Sooners", a reference to a nickname given to the early participants in the Land Run ...
in Lubbock to finish the regular season 8–4 overall and 4–4 and third place in the Big 12 South. Tech was invited to the
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game held in Jacksonville, Florida, operated by Gator Bowl Sports. It has been held continuously since 1946, making it the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised natio ...
where they knocked off a ranked
Virginia Cavalier team 31–28 to finish 9–4 overall and ranked # 22 in the country. Harrell was named the game's Most Valuable player. He was then awarded the
Sammy Baugh Trophy
The Touchdown Club of Columbus was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1956 by Sam B. Nicola at the request of state auditor James A. Rhodes, who later became governor of the state. Nicola served as the club's president until his death in 1993. More ...
awarded to the best passer in College Football. He finished the season with a 71.8% completion percentage, throwing for 5,705 yards and 48 touchdowns.
Senior season
Entering his senior season, Harrell had 89 career passing touchdowns, putting him within range of
Colt Brennan
Colton James Brennan (August 16, 1983 – May 11, 2021) was an American football quarterback. He played college football for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, where he was a two-time, third-team All-American before being selected by the Washington R ...
's NCAA record of 131 touchdowns. Before the beginning of his final season,
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is the sports division of the American television network CBS. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on W 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on W 5 ...
listed Harrell as a Heisman hopeful. Tech
wide receiver Michael Crabtree's name also appeared on the list. Harrell was also named one of 26 candidates for the 2008
Unitas Award
The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is given annually in the United States to the nation's top upperclassmen quarterback in college football. Candidates are judged on accomplishments on the field as well as on their character, scholastic achievemen ...
, given to the nation's best senior college football quarterback. Additionally, his name appeared among 30 other quarterbacks in the
Davey O'Brien Award
The Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Co ...
watch list. Harrell, along with Coach
Mike Leach and teammate
Michael Crabtree
Michael Alex Crabtree Jr. (born September 14, 1987) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at Texas Tech, where he was a two-time unanimous All-Am ...
were featured on the cover of the 2008 edition of ''
Dave Campbell's Texas Football
''Dave Campbell's Texas Football'' is a biannual magazine previewing American football teams in the state of Texas.
It previews football teams in Texas at all levels, from the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans, college football, to the r ...
''.
To support the Heisman campaign of both Harrell and Crabtree, Texas Tech created a website called PassOrCatch2008.com, which is modeled after political campaigns. The site garnered national attention and was awarded a Telly Award which honors the best in local, regional, and cable commercials and programs, as well as online videos, films, and commercials. After leading the Red Raiders to a victory over the #1
Texas Longhorns
The Texas Longhorns are the athletic teams representing the University of Texas at Austin. The teams are sometimes referred to as the Horns and take their name from Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and a ...
, Harrell and teammate Daniel Charbonnet were selected for Big 12 player of the week honors. Harrell also leaped McCoy to make it to the top of the Heisman poll. Harrell was also one of ten finalists for the
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is given annually in the United States to the nation's top upperclassmen quarterback in college football. Candidates are judged on accomplishments on the field as well as on their character, scholastic achievemen ...
and one of thirteen finalists for the
Davey O'Brien Award
The Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Co ...
.
Following the inaugural game of the
2008 season, where Texas Tech defeated the
Eastern Washington Eagles
The Eastern Washington Eagles are the intercollegiate varsity athletic teams that represent Eastern Washington University, located in Cheney, southwest of Spokane. A member of the Big Sky Conference, EWU's athletic program comprises five men's ...
, 49–24, Harrell was selected as the
AT&T ESPN All-America Player. After the Red Raiders 58–28 victory over the
Kansas State Wildcats, Harrell received two more honors. He was recognized as the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and the
O'Brien Quarterback of the Week.
During the game against Kansas State, Harrell broke the all-time record for passing yards at Texas Tech. The previous record, set by
Kliff Kingsbury
Kliff Timothy Kingsbury (born August 9, 1979) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously a collegiate football coach from 2008 to ...
, was 12,429 yards. After the game, Harrell's record stood at 12,709 yards.
Following the 63–21 win over #18
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
on October 25, 2008, Harrell was again named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week. Teammate Matt Williams was named the Special Teams Player of the Week. After Tech's 65–21 loss to Oklahoma, Harrell's chances of winning the Heisman were reduced. Harrell finished fourth in the Heisman race but did not receive an invitation to attend the presentation ceremony. Michael Crabtree finished fifth.
![Harrellbrokenfingers3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Harrellbrokenfingers3.jpg)
In the final regular season game against Baylor, Harrell shattered two of his fingers (the pinkie and middle finger) of his non-throwing hand during the second quarter. At halftime, Harrell's hand was x-rayed, and medical examiners advised Harrell to discontinue playing in the game. Harrell replied, "Tape my hand up. I'm going out." Harrell played the rest of the game with black tape around his fingers. He finished with 309 total passing yards and two touchdowns. With the victory, Tech clinched a share of the
Big 12 South title, though fell short at going to the Big 12 Championship Game. On the day following the Baylor game, Harrell underwent a four-hour surgery, in which 17 pins and two plates were inserted into his injured hand to heal nine different breaks. He was later cleared to play in the postseason bowl game.
On December 2, 2008, Harrell and teammate Michael Crabtree were named as
Walter Camp Award
The Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football player of the year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I FBS head coaches and sports information directo ...
finalists.
On December 4, 2008, the
American Football Coaches Association
The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) is an association of over 11,000 American football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "mainta ...
compiled its 2008 AFCA Coaches' All-American Team, with Harrell headlining the list.
In December 2008, Harrell, Coach Mike Leach, Leach's wife, and Blayne Beal, the associate Tech media relations director, were in
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
for the presentation of the
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is given annually in the United States to the nation's top upperclassmen quarterback in college football. Candidates are judged on accomplishments on the field as well as on their character, scholastic achievemen ...
to Harrell. While there, they received an invitation to
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, to meet the president. On December 13, 2008, the group toured the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
and met with President
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
, who disclosed that he watches college football on a regular basis. Bush also told Leach that he frequently talks with his 1978 congressional election rival,
Kent Hance
Kent Ronald Hance (born November 14, 1942) is an American politician and lawyer who is the former Chancellor of the Texas Tech University System. In his role, he oversaw Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and Ang ...
, the Texas Tech chancellor.
On October 25, 2008, Graham Harrell passed
Philip Rivers
Philip Michael Rivers (born December 8, 1981) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers franchise. He played college football at NC State and was sele ...
to move into sole possession of third place for passing yardage in a career. On November 22, 2008, Harrell passed
Ty Detmer
Ty Hubert Detmer (born October 30, 1967) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He won the Heisman Trophy in 1990 while playing college football for the BYU Cougars. D ...
to move into second for passing yardage in a career behind
Timmy Chang
Timothy Kealii'okaaina Awa Chang (born October 9, 1981) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is currently the head coach of the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. During his playing career at Hawaii, he set several major college footbal ...
. On January 2, 2009, Harrell played his final collegiate game, a 34–47 loss to
Ole Miss in the
2009 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic. In the game, Harrell finished his college career with an NCAA all-time record of 134 passing touchdowns, breaking the previous mark of 131 set by
Colt Brennan
Colton James Brennan (August 16, 1983 – May 11, 2021) was an American football quarterback. He played college football for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, where he was a two-time, third-team All-American before being selected by the Washington R ...
. He also equaled Brennan's record of 147 career touchdowns passing, rushing, and receiving, a record that would be broken
the following year by
Central Michigan's Dan LeFevour
Daniel Terrence LeFevour (born March 19, 1987) is a former Canadian football quarterback. He was originally drafted in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears and spent time with three other NFL teams (without appearing in a re ...
. Harrell also compiled 5,111 passing yards in the season, becoming the first NCAA player to post multiple 5,000-yard passing seasons.
NCAA records
Harrell holds 8 Individual NCAA records. See also
NCAA records held by individual Red Raiders
The NCAA Records book also mentions Graham Harrell for the following items:
* Single-game yards passing: 646 (Rank 6th) (Vs Oklahoma St. September 22, 2007)
* Single-game yards, total offense: 643 (Rank 7th) (Vs Oklahoma St. September 22, 2007)
* Single-game attempts: 72 (Rank 23rd) (vs Oklahoma November 17, 2007)
* single-game completions: 48 (18th) (vs UTEP September 8, 2007)
* Single-game completions: 47 (Rank 20th) (vs Oklahoma November 17, 2007)
* Season yards passing: 5,705 (Rank 2nd) 2007
* Season yards passing: 5,111 (Rank 8th) 2008
* Season yards total offense: 5,614 (Rank 5th) 2007
* Season yards total offense: 5.096 (Rank 13th) 2008
* Season yards per game passing: 438.8 (Rank 3rd) 2007
* Season yards per game passing: 393.2 (Rank 14th) 2008
* Season yards per game total offense: 431.8 (Rank 3rd) 2007
* Season yards per game total offense: 392 (Rank 18th) 2008
* Season touchdown passes: 48 (Rank 7th) 2007
* Season touchdown passes: 45 (Rank 14th) 2008
* Career yards passing: 15,793 (Rank 4th)
* Career yards total offense: 15,599 (Rank 5th)
* Career yards passing per game: 351 (Rank 3rd)
* Career yards per game total offense: 346.6 (Rank 5th)
* Career touchdown passes: 134 (Rank 3rd)
* Annual total offense champion: 2007
NCAA records reference (Last referenced for 2015 season)
Awards and honors
Harrell has received multiple honors, including the 2008
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is given annually in the United States to the nation's top upperclassmen quarterback in college football. Candidates are judged on accomplishments on the field as well as on their character, scholastic achievemen ...
.
Professional career
Pre-draft
Following his senior season at Texas Tech, Harrell entered the
2009 NFL Draft but went undrafted to the surprise of many. He participated with the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
in their rookie camp the first weekend in May 2009 but was not signed despite coach
Eric Mangini
Eric Anthony Mangini (born January 19, 1971) is a former American football coach and current television sports analyst. Mangini had been with the San Francisco 49ers since 2013 and served as the team's tight ends coach for two seasons before b ...
giving Harrell praise. UFL Access reported that Harrell would work out in front of
United Football League representatives in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
On July 20, 2009, Harrell signed a two-year plus an option contract with the
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division.
The Roughriders were founded in 1 ...
of the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
, joining former Texas Tech teammate
Eric Morris who had signed months earlier. After a brief stay in the CFL, Harrell requested to be released from his CFL contract to pursue his NFL options, and was released by the Roughriders on April 22, 2010.
Green Bay Packers
Harrell signed with the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
on May 19, 2010. On December 18, Harrell was signed to the active roster due to an injury to
Aaron Rodgers. On September 3, 2011, the Packers released Harrell, but they re-signed him on September 4, 2011, to the practice squad. On December 7, 2011, the Packers again signed Harrell to the active roster. After the departure of primary back-up
Matt Flynn
Matthew Clayton Flynn (born June 20, 1985) is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He was a member of the Packers when they won Super Bowl XLV over the Pitts ...
, Harrell was promoted to the active roster full-time and was named Rodgers' primary backup.
On September 30, 2012, Graham played in his first game for Green Bay. Coming in for one snap in the red zone, Harrell took the snap to hand off to
Cedric Benson
Cedric Myron Benson (December 28, 1982 – August 17, 2019) was an American professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns and was recognized as a co ...
, but was tripped by his center, resulting in a fumbled hand off and a lost fumble. Harrell appeared in four regular-season games, completing 2 of 4 passes for 20 yards. He hosted a weekly sports talk show called the "Witt Ford Red Zone with Graham Harrell" every Monday during the 2012 season on 104.1 FM WRLU and archived at DoorCountyDailyNews.com.
Harrell struggled in the pre-season and on August 24, 2013, ''USA Today'' reported that Green Bay would be releasing Harrell, as former
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
QB
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young Jr. (born May 18, 1983) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. Young was drafted by the Tennessee Titans as the third overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, and ...
outplayed Harrell according to the Packers coaching staff in the pre-season.
New York Jets
Harrell was signed by the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
on August 28, 2013. He was brought in after reserve quarterback
Greg McElroy
Gregory Vincent McElroy, Jr. (born May 10, 1988) is an American football commentator and former quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL) in the seventh round of ...
re-injured his knee. Harrell played for one series at the end of the Jets' final 2013 preseason game against the
Eagles
Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...
in relief of
Matt Simms. He was released on September 2, 2013 after the Jets signed
Brady Quinn
Brayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn (born October 27, 1984) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football at Notre Dame, where he won the Maxwell Award, and w ...
.
Coaching career
Early career
Harrell first started coaching by accepting a quality control position at
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
when
Mike Gundy
Michael Ray Gundy (born August 12, 1967) is an American football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at Oklahoma State University. Gundy played college football at Oklahoma State, where he played quarterback from 1986 to 1989. ...
hired former Tech offensive coordinator
Dana Holgorsen
Dana Carl Holgorsen (born June 21, 1971) is the head football coach at the University of Houston. He was the head coach at West Virginia University from 2011 to 2018. During his coaching career he has served under coaches such as Hal Mumme, Mike ...
to run the Cowboy offense. Harrell helped tutor the OSU quarterbacks with the new Air Raid system that Gundy had hired Holgorsen to run. Harrell left OSU to play football in Canada. After not playing in the NFL during the 2013 season, Harrell joined the coaching staff at
Washington State
Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...
in April 2014, re-uniting him with his college coach
Mike Leach. Harrell was given the position of offensive analyst. In February 2015, Harrell was named the football program's outside receivers coach, replacing Dennis Simmons.
North Texas
In December 2015, former Texas Tech running backs coach
Seth Littrell
James Seth Littrell (born July 24, 1978) is an American football coach and former player. He was the head coach of the North Texas Mean Green football team from 2016–2022.
Early life
Littrell was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and attended Musk ...
was named head football coach at the
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public research university in Denton, Texas. It was founded as a nonsectarian, coeducational, private teachers college in 1890 and was formally adopted by the state 11 years later."Denton Normal School," ...
. Harrell became one of Littrell's first hires, as he was named offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at UNT. Despite being named OC at North Texas, Harrell said he would honor his contract with Leach and WSU and coach the Cougars in the
Sun Bowl.
At UNT, Harrell inherited an offense that had ranked in the bottom 25 of the country in passing, total yards, and points in 2015. He improved the unit such that his offenses were ranked in the top 26 nationally in passing, total yards, and points in both 2017 and 2018.
USC
On December 7, 2018, UNC-Chapel Hill sports site Inside Carolina claimed that Harrell had accepted the role of offensive coordinator at the
University of Carolina–Chapel Hill, but Inside Carolina retracted the claim hours later. On January 29, 2019, Harrell was hired as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
(USC) under head coach
Clay Helton
Clay Charles Helton (born June 24, 1972) is an American college football coach and former player, who is currently the head coach at Georgia Southern. He was previously the head coach of USC from 2015 to 2021. Helton has also been an assistan ...
.
West Virginia
On January 10, 2022, Harrell was hired as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at
West Virginia University
West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State College ...
.
Purdue
On December 20, 2022, Harrell was named the offensive coordinator for the
Purdue Boilermakers
The Purdue Boilermakers are the official intercollegiate athletics teams representing Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana. As is common with athletic nicknames, the Boilermakers nickname is also used as colloquial designation ...
.
Personal life
Harrell is the son of Sam and Kathy Harrell. His grandfather served as assistant coach to
Gordon Wood. Harrell has an older brother, Zac, who was a receiver on Ennis High's 2000 State Championship team, and is a graduate of the
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public research university in Denton, Texas. It was founded as a nonsectarian, coeducational, private teachers college in 1890 and was formally adopted by the state 11 years later."Denton Normal School," ...
and coaches at the high school level and is the head football coach and athletic director at
Athens High School in
Athens, Texas
Athens is a city and the county seat of Henderson County, Texas, Henderson County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city population was 12,857. The city has called itself the "black-eyed pea, Blac ...
. Graham also has a younger brother,
Clark Harrell, who played a year at quarterback for the
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
The Golden Hurricane are the athletic teams that represent the University of Tulsa. These teams are referred to as the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (or variously as TU or Tulsa). Before adopting the name Golden Hurricane in 1922, the University of T ...
. Clark transferred to
Abilene Christian University
Abilene Christian University (ACU) is a Private university, private Churches of Christ, Christian university in Abilene, Texas. It was founded in 1906 as ''Childers Classical Institute''. ACU is one of the largest private universities in the Sout ...
after his freshman season at Tulsa and graduated from ACU in 2011. Clark is now the head coach at New Diana High School in
Diana, Texas
Diana is an unincorporated community in Upshur County, Texas, United States. The community is north of Longview and south of Ore City on U.S. Highway 259.
The community of Diana is made up of many smaller communities; Ashland, James, Diana, Grac ...
.
Sam Harrell, Graham's father, was the highest paid high school coach in Texas as of the 2005–06 academic year. He coached at
Reagan County (1990–1993) and
Ennis
Ennis () is the county town of County Clare, in the mid-west of Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus, north of where the river widens and enters the Shannon Estuary. Ennis is the largest town in County Clare, with a population of 25,27 ...
(1994–''2009'') before retiring from coaching duties in December 2010 due to health problems. Sam returned to the sidelines after over two years of aggressive treatment for
multiple sclerosis
Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This d ...
and coaches in Brownwood under Bob Shipley, father of
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
and former Texas wideout
Jordan Shipley
Jordan Shipley (born December 23, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver. Shipley played college football for the University of Texas, and received consensus All-American recognition. He was picked by the Cincinnati Bengals in the t ...
.
After a short stint as the offensive coordinator for the Southwestern Assembly of God University Lions in Waxahachie, Texas, Sam returned to Ennis High School as the head coach of the Ennis Lions.
Harrell has been married to Brittney Tomlinson of
Tyler, Texas
Tyler is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the largest city and county seat of Smith County, Texas, Smith County. It is also the largest city in Northeast Texas. With a 2020 census population of 105,995, Tyler was the List of cities in Texa ...
since March 2012. They have a son, Herschel Hawk who was born in 2015.
See also
*
2006 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team
*
2007 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team
The 2007 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented Texas Tech University as a member of the Big 12 Conference during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by eighth-year head coach Mike Leach, the Red Raiders compiled an over ...
*
2008 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team
*
*
List of NCAA Division I FBS quarterbacks with at least 80 career passing touchdowns
*
List of NCAA major college football yearly passing leaders
The list of college football yearly passing and total offense leaders identifies the major college passing leaders for each season from 1937 to the present. It includes yearly leaders in three statistical categories: (1) passing yardage; (2) pass ...
*
References
External links
USC Trojans bioNorth Texas Mean Green bioGreen Bay Packers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harrell, Graham
1985 births
Living people
All-American college football players
American football quarterbacks
American members of the Churches of Christ
Canadian football quarterbacks
Green Bay Packers players
New York Jets players
North Texas Mean Green football coaches
Oklahoma State Cowboys football coaches
People from Brownwood, Texas
People from Ennis, Texas
Players of American football from Texas
Purdue Boilermakers football coaches
Saskatchewan Roughriders players
Sportspeople from the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex
Texas Tech Red Raiders football players
USC Trojans football coaches
Washington State Cougars football coaches
West Virginia Mountaineers football coaches