Ed Harmon
{{Short description|American football player (born 1946)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| image =
| caption =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 4
| weight_lbs = 235
| position = Linebacker
| number = 57
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1946|12|16}}
| birth_place = North Tonawanda, New York, U.S.
| death_date =
| draftyear = 1968
| draftround = 3
| draftpick = 71
| high_school = Bishop Gibbons High School
| college = Louisville
| pastteams =
- Dallas Cowboys ({{NFL Year|1968}})*
- Cincinnati Bengals (1969)
| highlights =
- 2× All-MVC (1966, 1967)
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 11
| pfr = HarmEd20
}}
Edward Charles Harmon (born December 16, 1946) is a former American football linebacker in the American Football League (AFL) for the Cincinnati Bengals. He played college football at the University of Louisville, and was drafted in the third round of the 1968 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys.
Early years
Harmon was born in North Tonawanda, a suburb of Buffalo, in Western New York. There he attended Bishop Gibbons High School. He moved on to play for the University of Louisville, where he was a backup fullback behind Wayne Patrick.{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1842&dat=19650828&id=xhIsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=O8gEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3339,7424755 | title=Bumper Crop Of Sophomores Listed Among Nation's Major Grid Teams| access-date=March 5, 2023}}
After being deemed "too valuable" to be a second stringer, he was moved to linebacker as a junior, making a name for himself as a hard hitter with great intensity.{{cite web|author=Dr. Ken |url=http://www.helmethut.com/Dr.Ken27.html |title=Louisville Cardinals, A Mirror Image |website=Helmet Hut |date=January 2006|accessdate=July 22, 2023}} In 1966, he set a single-game school record with 16 tackles while playing against the University of Tulsa.
He was inducted into the University of Louisville Athletics Hall of Fame.{{cite web | url=http://www.gocards.com/sports/2015/3/26/GEN_20140101120.aspx | title=Official Website of University of Louisville Athletics - Traditions | publisher=GoCards.com | access-date=March 5, 2023 | archive-date=February 3, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203193852/http://gocards.com/sports/2015/3/26/GEN_20140101120.aspx | url-status=dead }}
Professional career
=Dallas Cowboys=
Harmon was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round (71st overall) of the 1968 NFL/AFL draft, because they were impressed that his athleticism allowed him to play linebacker at a bigger size than most players could in that era.{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=861&dat=19680220&id=XwpaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KksNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1917,2560673 | title=Ed Harmon Inks Pact For Dallas | access-date=March 5, 2023}}
The Cowboys were deep at linebacker and he couldn't make the team, so he spent his rookie season on the taxi squad. In 1969, he was tried at defensive end and offensive tackle, before being released on September 9.{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=861&dat=19690910&id=XsccAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LFoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6959,1590933 | title=Hill Latches Starting Berth With Cowboys | access-date=March 5, 2023}} Instead of joining the taxi squad again, he decided to sign with a different team.
=Cincinnati Bengals=
In 1969, he signed as a free agent with the Cincinnati Bengals. He played in 11 contests and was voted the player of the game against the New York Jets. He was waived injured on August 25, 1970.{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=799&dat=19700826&id=cQsLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=v1EDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6038,2972096 | title=Bengals cut six | access-date=March 5, 2023}}
Personal life
Harmon played rugby in Chicago and Louisville
Ed was married to Jean Harmon for 42 years prior to her death in 2024..
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://fultonhistory.com/Newspaper%2011/North%20Tonawanda%20NY%20Evening%20News/North%20Tonawanda%20NY%20Evening%20News%201969%20%20Grayscale/North%20Tonawanda%20NY%20Evening%20News%201969%20%20Grayscale%20-%205510.pdf Gibbons' Harmon almost a Bill now a Bengal]
{{Cowboys1968DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harmon, Ed}}
Category:Players of American football from Buffalo, New York
Category:American football linebackers
Category:Louisville Cardinals football players
Category:Dallas Cowboys players