[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 144 (Monday, August 9, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S6108]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO CLIFF HARRIS

 Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam President, I rise today to recognize Cliff 
Harris, one of the newest inductees into the NFL Hall of Fame for his 
remarkable football career with the Dallas Cowboys.
  Cliff is a proud Arkansan who has spent his life defying odds and 
demonstrating that hard work and dedication pay off.
  Cliff was born in Fayetteville, AR, and grew up in the Hot Springs 
area where he began his football career as backup quarterback at Hot 
Springs High School. He earned a scholarship to Ouachita Baptist 
University--OBU--and followed in his father's footsteps joining the 
Tiger football team. Cliff was extremely successful on the field where 
he was an accomplished defensive back and a skilled kick returner. 
During his time at OBU, he was named to two All-Arkansas 
Intercollegiate Conference--AIC--teams and, during his freshman year, 
helped his team win the 1966 AIC Football Championship.
  Despite a stellar college football career, Cliff was not selected in 
the 1970 NFL draft. That didn't prevent him from pursing his dream. He 
participated in the Cowboys training camp and signed as a free agent. 
Cliff's perseverance paid off as he earned the starting free safety 
position his rookie year.
  His NFL career was postponed when he was called to service in the 
U.S. Army. Following his military service, Cliff jumped right back into 
the game and helped the Cowboys earn Super Bowl victories in 1972 and 
1978.
  Nicknamed ``Captain Crash'' for his ruthless tackles and ferocious 
pursuit of ball carriers, Cliff dominated the field and, even today, is 
heralded as one of the best free safeties to ever play the sport. Hall 
of Fame head coach George Allen described Cliff as a ``rolling ball of 
butcher knives.''
  In addition to playing in five Super Bowls, Cliff was named to the 
Pro Bowl six times and was named a first team All-Pro player for four 
consecutive seasons. He was named to the Dallas Cowboys' Silver Season 
All-Time Team, was selected by ``Sports Illustrated'' as the free 
safety on the magazine's All-Time Dream Team, was given the NFL Alumni 
Legends Award, and was the free safety of the All-Decade Team for the 
1970s. In 2004, Cliff was inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of 
Honor. The Cliff Harris Award was named after him and is presented to 
the top defensive player in small college football each year. Back in 
Arkansas, Harris's alma mater Ouachita Baptist University honored Cliff 
by naming its new football stadium the Cliff Harris Stadium.
  From backup high school quarterback to two-time Super Bowl champion, 
Cliff has remained the same hard-working kid from Arkansas. Known for 
his vast knowledge of the game and strong leadership among the team, 
Cliff was an extremely well-liked and respected player. As a fellow 
Arkansan, I looked up to him not only because of his football skills 
but also his outstanding character both on and off the field.
  I applaud Cliff for his outstanding accomplished career that has 
culminated with a spot in Canton. He deserves this recognition for his 
perseverance on the field and for the positive example he set for 
children in Arkansas and all across the country. We honor and salute 
one of my boyhood heroes who has never let us down.

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