Kwame Harris

Lore & Background

Harris played high school football in Delaware, and was among the top prep offensive lineman in the country. He played three years at Stanford, twice earning all-conference honors and earning named honorable mention All-American in his final season. Harris was among the top-rated offensive linemen available in the 2003 draft, and he played five seasons with the 49ers and one with Oakland Raiders. He was a starter for most of his career, but often struggled with blocking and committing penalties. He was inducted into the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.

Reader's Guide

Harris was born in Jamaica and came to the United States when he was three years old. His family first settled in The Bronx, New York before moving to Delaware. He attended Newark High School. He was a music major at Stanford.

He played three years of football for the Cardinal, and he was a two-year starter at right tackle. He was selected in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft with the 26th overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers, and he played five seasons with the team. In 2008, Harris signed a three-year contract for $16 million with the Oakland Raiders. He started 11 games that year.

He retired after being cut in 2010 by the Florida Tuskers in the United Football League. He played six seasons in his NFL career, starting 55 times in 86 games. On November 4, 2013, Harris was convicted on misdemeanor counts of domestic violence, assault and battery against his ex-boyfriend, Dimitri Geier. He was sentenced to five days in jail and three years of probation. On March 29, 2013, Harris came out as gay during an interview with CNN.

Did You Know?

• He was ranked the No. 2 offensive tackle available in the 2003 NFL draft, behind only Jordan Gross.
• Harris partly attributed his decline to the pressure of hiding his sexuality.