N'Keal Harry (, '; born December 17, 1997) 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 ...
wide receiver for the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
of the
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). 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
Arizona State
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
, where he twice received first-team All-
Pac-12
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its College football, football teams compete in the NCAA D ...
honors, and was selected by the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
as the final first round pick of the
2019 NFL Draft
The 2019 NFL Draft was the 84th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2019 NFL season. The draft was held on April 25–27 in Nashville, Tennessee. The first round was held on April 2 ...
. Harry spent his first three seasons with the Patriots before being traded to the Bears in 2022.
Early life
Harry was born in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, Canada, before moving as a baby to
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines () is an island country in the Caribbean. It is located in the southeast Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, which lie in the West Indies at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea wh ...
. His grandmother brought him to the
Phoenix metro area, with the blessing of his mother, to allow for more opportunity.
Harry tried several sports as a kid; soccer, football, and basketball, among others. His grandmother had hoped he would choose a less dangerous sport, but agreed to let him play football.
He starred at Chandler High School after transferring from
Marcos de Niza High School
Marcos de Niza High School is a high school located in Tempe, Arizona. It was founded in 1971 and it has an enrollment of approximately 1,500 students. The school's mascot is the Padre. The school is a part of the Tempe Union High School District ...
in Tempe, earning five star recruiting honors from Rivals.com, and was noted by many recruiting services as one of the top wide receiver recruits in the country.
In his junior season, Harry caught 13 touchdown passes on 30 catches for 657 yards.
College career
Harry chose to remain home and committed to
Arizona State University
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
despite recruiting efforts by
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 ...
,
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
,
USC
USC most often refers to:
* University of South Carolina, a public research university
** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses
**South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program
* University of ...
, among other top-tier programs.
In the 2016 season-opening game against
Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a public research university based in Flagstaff, Arizona. It was founded in 1899 as the final public university established in the Arizona Territory, 13 years before Arizona was admitted as the 48th state.
...
, Harry became just the ninth true freshman in school history to start a season opener.
In his freshman season, Harry posted 58 catches for 659 yards and five touchdowns. Additionally, Harry ran for 69 yards and scored twice, and completed a 46-yard pass of his own. For his efforts in his rookie year, N'Keal was honored by Scout, Football Focus, and Campus Insiders as a Freshman All-American.
During his sophomore campaign, Harry had 82 catches for 1142 yards and 8 touchdowns earning him First-team All-Conference honors.
Harry's junior season began with media accolades, as he was selected to the 2018 AP preseason All-American team. On Saturday, October 27, he made one of the greatest catches in football history according to
Colin Cowherd
Colin Murray Cowherd (born January 6, 1964) is an American sports media personality. Cowherd began his broadcasting career as sports director of Las Vegas television station KVBC and as a sports anchor on several other stations before joining ...
. His acrobatic one-handed catch, along with a punt return touchdown, helped lead the Sun Devils to a win over the
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 ' ...
, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest receivers to don an
Arizona State
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
uniform. The following week N'Keal Harry scored three touchdowns in an upset over #15
Utah Utes
The Utah Utes are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent the University of Utah, located in Salt Lake City. The athletic department is named after the Ute tribe of Native Americans. The men's basketball team is known as the Runnin' ...
. After the comeback win against the
Arizona Wildcats
The Arizona Wildcats are the sport, athletic teams that represent the University of Arizona, located in Tucson, Arizona, Tucson. The Wildcats compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I (NCAA Divis ...
on November 24, he announced that he would forgo his senior year and enter the
2019 NFL Draft
The 2019 NFL Draft was the 84th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2019 NFL season. The draft was held on April 25–27 in Nashville, Tennessee. The first round was held on April 2 ...
.
College statistics
Professional career
New England Patriots
Harry was selected by the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
in the first round of the
2019 NFL Draft
The 2019 NFL Draft was the 84th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2019 NFL season. The draft was held on April 25–27 in Nashville, Tennessee. The first round was held on April 2 ...
with the 32nd overall pick. He was the second
wide receiver to be selected in the first round that year, behind
Marquise Brown
Marquise "Hollywood" Brown (born June 4, 1997) is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at College of the Canyons and Oklahoma and was drafted by the Balt ...
(
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
, 25th overall). Harry was also the first
wide receiver that Patriots head coach
Bill Belichick
William Stephen Belichick (; born April 16, 1952) is an American professional football coach who is the head coach of the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Additionally, he exercises extensive authority over the Patri ...
has drafted in the first round during his tenure with the Patriots and the first wide receiver the Patriots have drafted in the first round since
Terry Glenn
Terry Tyree Glenn (July 23, 1974 – November 20, 2017) was an American football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, and Dallas Cowboys. He was drafted by t ...
in
1996
File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...
. On May 14, 2019, Harry signed a 4-year deal with the Patriots worth $10.1 million featuring a $5.3 million signing bonus.
2019 season
On September 2, 2019, he was placed on
injured reserve
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
as a result of the ankle injury he sustained during training camp. On November 2, 2019, Harry was activated off injured reserve. On November 24, 2019, Harry caught his first career receiving touchdown off a 10-yard pass from
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
in the 13–9 win over the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
. During a Week 14 matchup with the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
, Harry caught a short pass and ran into the endzone, seemingly scoring a touchdown on the play. However,
Jerome Boger
Jerome Leonard Boger ( ; born July 1, 1955) is an American football official in the National Football League (NFL) since the 2004 NFL season. He has worn uniform number 23 since 2006; before that, he wore uniform number 109. He started in the l ...
's referee crew ruled him out of bounds and the Patriots could not challenge the ruling. Harry left the game with a hip injury after this play. In Week 15, Harry caught two passes for 15 yards and a touchdown, and rushed two times for 22 yards in a 34-13 victory over the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
. As a rookie, he appeared in seven games in the regular season and totaled 12 receptions for 105 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.
2020 season
In the season opener against the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
, Harry finished with 5 receptions for 39 yards in the 21–11 win . In week 2, Harry finished with a career-high 8 receptions on 12 targets for 72 receiving yards against the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
. On a week 4 Monday night game against the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
, Harry recorded his first touchdown of the year on a pass from
Jarrett Stidham
Jarrett Ryan Stidham (born August 8, 1996) is an American football quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). After transferring from Baylor, he played college football at Auburn and was selected by the New Engl ...
, finishing the game with 3 receptions for 21 yards and a touchdown.
2021 season
On July 6, 2021, Harry requested to be traded from the Patriots. In a statement from his agent, Jamal Tooson, it is stated that a fresh start "before the start of training camp" would be the best for Harry. In the preseason, Harry suffered a shoulder injury and was ruled out for four weeks. He was placed on injured reserve on September 2, 2021. After the release of
Cam Newton
Cameron Jerrell Newton (born May 11, 1989) is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He has played for 11 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "Super Cam", he is the NFL ...
, Harry switched from #15 to #1. He was activated on October 2. In Week 10, a game against 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 ( ...
, Harry caught a 26 yard pass from backup quarterback
Brian Hoyer
Axel Edward Brian Hoyer (born October 13, 1985) is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Since joining the NFL in 2009 as an undrafted free agent, he has started for seven different ...
. The Patriots would win 45-7. In Week 17, Harry was benched and made a healthy scratch.
The Patriots declined the fifth-year option on Harry's contract on May 2, 2022, making him a free agent after the 2022 season.
Chicago Bears
On July 12, 2022, Harry was traded to the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
for a seventh round draft pick in the
2024 NFL Draft. He was placed on injured reserve on September 1, 2022 with an ankle injury. He was activated on October 10.
Harry made his season debut on October 24 against his former team the New England Patriots.
NFL career statistics
Regular season
Postseason
References
External links
New England Patriots bioArizona State Sun Devils bio*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harry, N'Keal
1997 births
Living people
American football wide receivers
American Christians
Arizona State Sun Devils football players
New England Patriots players
Players of American football from Arizona
Sportspeople from Chandler, Arizona
Sportspeople from Toronto
Chicago Bears players
Black Canadian players of American football