April 20, 2002
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Napoleon Harris (Dixmoor, Ill./Thornton Township) has exchanged purple and white for silver and black.
On Saturday afternoon, the Oakland Raiders chose Harris with the 23rd overall pick in the 67th Annual National Football League Draft. He becomes the seventh player in Northwestern football history to be drafted in the first round and the first since 1983, when the Denver Broncos selected Chris Hinton.
"I can't tell you how excited I am," said Harris at a gathering of friends and relatives in NU's Nicolet Football Center. "I think I'm more excited now that I've been selected. I can't wait to get to Oakland and get started. This is a dream come true."
Harris could be the first of several Northwestern players to be drafted by the NFL this weekend. Fellow linebackers Kevin Bentley (North Hills, Calif./Montclair Prep) and Billy Silva (San Diego, Calif./St. Augustine), along with running back Damien Anderson (Wilmington, Ill./Wilmington), are NU's other top NFL Draft hopefuls.
Harris was a two-time All-Big Ten second-team selection (2000 and 2001). In 2000, he earned the honor at outside linebacker, but in 2001, was moved to defensive end to help shore up a weak position for the 'Cats.
He finished his career 11th on NU's all-time tackle list with 334 hits. In 2001, he ranked fourth on the team with 78 tackles and second on the squad with nine tackles-for-loss. In the 2000 Alamo Bowl vs. Nebraska, Harris led the team with 14 tackles.
Harris played in all but one game at Northwestern (45 of 46). He started 29 of those 45 games.