The Recruiting Guy

Love of contact and bonding has Harris favoring football

Chris Harris is an athlete in the class of 2020. (Photo courtesy of Jona Lewis)

Dumas junior Chris Harris is one of the better dual-sport athletes in the state, but there’s no question which sport he favors.

Harris, 5-11,180 pounds, plays quarterback for the Bobcats and point guard for the basketball team. He helped lead Dumas to the state semi-finals before falling to Joe T. Robinson in football.

Football is his first love and he explains why.

“Contact of the sport and just the environment,” Harris said. “Football brings people together. I love it.”

He completed 133 of 208 passes for 1,807 yards, 19 touchdowns while rushing 191 times for 1,539 yards and 21 touchdowns and was named Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All Arkansas Preps second team as a junior.

The bond between teammates is another reason why Harris loves football.

“Football brings people together, I love it,” Harris said. “You can have ups and downs. You have to come together as a team to succeed. This year everybody was new,but all came together as a team and as a great unit We did some special things. It was the first time in Dumas history we went to the semi-finals.”

Harris, who’s drawing interest from Memphis, Baylor, North Texas, Louisiana Tech and UCA, sees both sports helping him.

“It’s fun because playing basketball it helps me in football with footwork,” said Harris,who plans to visit Memphis in February. “Being strong in football helps me in basketball with smaller guards. I can use my strength against them.”

He’s confident he can help steam on to the next level.

“I could play pretty good defense but I’m pretty good with the ball in my hands,” Harris said. “I could be a slot. I love defense, too.”