Nick Harris life and biography

Nick Harris is an American football punter currently playing for the Detroit Lions.
* Re-signed by the Lions September 6, 2007 to a six-year contract extension.
* Re-signed by the Lions December 30, 2004 to a three-year deal.
* Signed by the Detroit Lions October 14, 2003 and re-signed by the Lions May 25, 2004.
* Released by the Cincinnati Bengals October 7, 2003.
* Claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Bengals August 29, 2001.
* Drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round (120th overall) of the 2001 NFL Draft and then was waived by the Broncos August 28, 2001.

PRO: Harris continues his progress as one of the league’s most productive and punters. Harris is the team’s all-time leader in punts (598), punting yards (25,792) and second in gross punting average (43.1).

* Since 1976 when net punting became an official statistic, Harris has the highest net punting average (38.2) and most punts downed inside the 20-yard line (180) among Lions punters.
* He is a valuable asset in terms of the battle for field position. In his first four full seasons with the Lions (signed for last 11 games in 2003), Harris increased his gross punting average—40.9 in 2004, 43.5 in 2005 and 45.0 in 2006, and he registered his second highest punting average in 2007 with 44.3.
* Harris also increased his net punting average from 2004-06 with 34.2 in 2004, 36.9 in 2005 and 38.7 in 2006, and he recorded his third-highest net average of his career in 2007 with 36.4.
* In 2006, he finished strong with two top-10 rankings amongst NFL punters as he was fifth in gross punting (45.0 avg.) and tied for eighth in net punting (38.2 avg.).
* He had one of the best outings in the NFL in 2005 while proving to be one of the league’s most accurate punters as he led the NFL with a net differential (punts downed inside the 20-yard line minus the number of touchbacks) of 32. Harris’ 34 punts downed inside-the-20 was the highest in the league.
* He played the 2001-02 seasons and the first five games of 2003 with the Cincinnati Bengals.

2010: Is in his eighth season in Detroit as the team’s punter.

* Totaled 8 punts for 337 yards, with an average of 42.1, and no touchbacks in season opener at Chicago (9/12).
* Punted 4 times for 210 yards (52.5 avg), recorded a net punting average of 48.8 and had one punt downed inside the 20-yard line vs. Philadelphia (9/19). Harris had punts of 66, 50, 43 and 51 yards on the day. Harris’ 66-yarder coming out of the Lions endzone tied for the second-longest of his career.
* Harris’ 48.8 net punting average against the Eagles is the second-highest single-game tally among Lions punters with four punts in a game since 1991.
* Kicked 7 punts for 300 yards (42.9 avg), with 1 touchback and 1 landing inside the 20-yard line at Minnesota (9/26).
* Had two punts at Green Bay (10/3), with one inside the 20-yard line.
* Three punts for an average of 44.7 against St. Louis (10/10), 1 inside the 20-yard line.
* Five punts for 235 yards, a 47.0 average, at the New York Giants (10/17). Two punts inside the 20-yard line.
* Tied career high of nine punts. Averaged 46.4 per punt with one inside the 20-yard line against Washington (10/31).
* Tied career high with nine punts against the New York Jets (11/7). Average 47.1 yard a kick, with three inside the 20-yard line. Served as kicker after Jason Hanson suffered injury to right knee.
* Eight punts for an average of 41.6 at Buffalo (11/14). Landed two inside the 20-yard line.
* Landed three-of-six punts inside the 20-yard line and had two touchbacks at Dallas (11/21).
* Set two-of-four punts inside the 20-yard line and had one touchback against Chicago (12/5).

2009: Averaged 42.9 yards on 74 punts. Had 20 punts inside the 20-yard line with just five touchbacks. Established Lions career punting records for punts (537) and punting yards (22,056) and punts downed inside the 20-yard line (165). Set a team record (since 1976) with a 41.6 net punting average for the month of November.

* Totaled five punts for 208 yards (41.6 avg.) with two landing inside the 20-yard line at New Orleans (9/13).
* Recorded three punts for 139 yards (46.3 avg.) with two landing inside the 20-yard line and no touchbacks vs. Pittsburgh (10/11).
* Posted five punts for 196 yards with one landing inside the 20-yard line at Green Bay (10/18). Also added a special teams stop.
* Recorded 7 punts for 324 yards (46.3 avg.) with three landing inside the 20-yard line and no touchbacks vs. St. Louis (11/1). His 42.6 net average is a season high.
* Tied season high with seven punts for 287 yards at Minnesota (11/15) and added two punts inside the 20-yard line with no touchbacks.
* Punted three times for 154 yards giving him a season-best average of 51.3 vs. Green Bay (11/26). Finished with a season-high net average of 48.7 while downing two of his punts inside the 20 with no touchbacks. In addition, he booted a season-long 56 yard punt.
* Averaged 47.0 yards on five punts at Baltimore (12/13). The 47.0 yards per punt was his third highest of the season and highest among games with at least four punts.

2008: Had another strong season pinning opponents deep in their own territory with 22 punts inside-the-20 and only 5 touchbacks. His 38.0 net punting average this season is the third-highest tally by a Lions punter since net punting became an official statistic in 1976.

* At Atlanta (9/7), Harris punted six times for 255 yards (42.5 avg.), including 2 inside the 20.
* Against Green Bay (9/14), Harris punted six times for 208 yards (34.7 avg.) with three landing inside the 20.
* His 40.3 net punting average vs. Chicago (10/5) was the second highest average against the Bears since the beginning of 2006, All-Pro KR Devin Hester’s first season, by a team that punted at least 8 times, and only the second team to record a net average over 40 yards (minimum 8 punts) in that span.
* Since 1976 (first year that net punting became an official NFL stat), Harris, at Houston (10/19), recorded the best per punt difference between gross punting and net punting in games with at least four punts. Harris registered a per punt net difference of -3.0 between his gross punting average and net punting average.
* Recorded a special teams tackle at Chicago (11/2).
* Punted the ball a season high nine times for a career high 431 yards, including three kicks inside the 20 vs. Tennessee (11/27). Also added a special teams tackle.
* Recorded a season high long punt of 66 yards and a career best 59.5 average vs. Minnesota (12/7).

2007: Was a valuable member of the Lions special teams unit, helping set up the defense with favorable field position. Finished the season on a tear, with 13 punts downed inside the 20 in the last five games of the season, tied for second most in the league over that span. His 44.3-yard punting average was the second highest of his career.

* Harris punted three times for 132 yards at Oakland (9/9) for a 44.0 average, including one punt inside the 20. On his three punts, there were no return yards.
* On his first punt of the day at Oakland (9/9), Harris went over 20,000 punt yards for his career.
* Against Minnesota (9/16), Harris punted three times for 117 yards, placing two kicks inside the 20-yard line and did not allow any return yardage for the second consecutive week.
* At Philadelphia (9/23), Harris punted five times for 228 yards (45.6 avg.).
* Harris punted five times for 217 yards (43.4 avg.) against Chicago (9/30).
* At Washington (10/7), Harris punted six times for 293 yards (48.8 avg).
* At Chicago (10/28), Harris was key in holding Bears return man Devin Hester to 44 return yards on two returns. He placed three kicks out of bounds and recorded two punts inside the 20.
* Harris punted three times against Denver (11/4), landing two kicks inside the 10-yard line. He ended the day with a 46.7 net punting average and helped limit the Broncos to just four yards on punt returns.
* Had six punts for 259 yards, including four inside the 20, against the New York Giants (11/18).
* Punted five times for 222 yards, including three inside the 20 (two inside the 10-yard line), at Minnesota (12/2).
* Punted three times for 156, all of which landed inside the 20-yard line, against Dallas (12/9).
* Harris had three punts for 127 yards at San Diego (12/16), including one inside the 20-yard line.
* Punted five times for 217 yards against Kansas City (12/23), landing a career-high tying four inside the 20-yard line. Harris recorded a 42.6 net yards per punt average on the day.
* Harris punted six times for 264 yards, including two inside the 20-yard line, at Green Bay (12/30).

2006: Nick Harris once again proved himself as one of the most effective punters in the NFL. After a slow start to the 2006 season when he uncharacteristically recorded eight touchbacks and only six punts downed inside the 20-yard line in the first seven games, he returned to form and was one of the best in the league from Week 9 through the end of the season. With 18 punts downed inside the 20-yard line, Harris has now tallied the second-most punts downed inside-the-20 (84) in the NFL since the beginning of the 2004 season.

* Harris finished the season fifth in the NFL (third in the NFC) with a 45.0 punting average and was tied for eighth (fourth in the NFC) in net punting a 38.2 average.
* Since net punting became an official statistic in 1976, Harris’ 38.2 is the second-highest single-season average by Lions’ punter behind Jim Arnold’s 1987 mark of 39.6, and his gross punting average of 45.0 is the fifth-best in team single-season history.
* Harris’ 40.5 net punting average was the best in the NFL over the last two months of the season.
* Also during that time, Harris downed 10 punts inside the 20-yard line and had only one touchback.
* In the month of December, Harris recorded a net average of 42.0 yards per punt on 17 punts, which was the second-highest in the league.
* Netted a 43.0 average (six punts for 258 yards) with a long of 55 yards while also dropping one punt inside the 20 against Seattle (9/10).
* Had six punts for 258 yards (43.0 avg) with a long of 47 yards at Chicago (9/17).
* Registered five punts for 214 yards (42.8 avg) with a long of 53 yards against Green Bay (9/24).
* Punted for 296 yards (second-most on the season) on six punts (49.3 avg) with a long punt of 53 yards at Minnesota (10/8).
* Charted career-best 53.5 average (two punts for 103 yards) at the New York Jets (10/22).
* Booted a season-best two punts inside the 20-yard line on three punts for 121 yards (40.3 avg) with a long punt of 47 yards vs. San Francisco (11/12).
* Punted five times for 220 yards (44.0 avg) with a season and career-tying best of four punts inside the 20-yard line, and tied his season-best long punt of 55 yards at Arizona (11/19).
* Tied a season-high with six punts for 263 yards (43.8 avg) with a long punt of 53 yards vs. Miami (11/23).
* Had five punts for 240 yards (48.0 avg) with one punt inside the 20, which was dropped at the 2-yard line, and a season-long punt of 56 yards at Green Bay (12/17).
* At the New York Jets 10/22, Harris recorded a career single-game high 53.5 gross yards per punt (2 punts for 107 yards, including a long 55 yards).
* Harris had a career day vs. Chicago (12/24), totaling a season-best seven punts for a season-high 335 yards (47.9 avg) with a career-long punt of 67 yards and also had three punts downed inside the 20-yard line against the Bears.
* Facing the NFL's most dangerous returner in 2006, the Lions Special Teams contained the Bears and their Pro Bowl PR Devin Hester. Leading the way was Harris and the punt unit. Harris punted 7 times for a season-high 335 yards (47.9 gross punting average). It was Harris' fourth-highest single-game gross punting average of his career in games he punted at least five times. He also tacked on three punts inside-the-20 and the punt cover team forced three fair catches as Harris netted a remarkable 45.3 average. It was his third-highest single-game net average of his career, with his second-highest occurring two weeks ago at Green Bay 12/17 (5-45.6 net).
* His 45.6 net punting average vs. Chicago was the second-highest single-game net punting average in the NFL among punters with at least 7 punts in a game. Harris and the punt unit also forced three punts that were downed inside the 20-yard line and three fair catches against the Bears.
* In the second quarter vs. Chicago, Harris boomed a 67-yard punt, which was a career high. It was also the longest punt by the Lions since Jim Arnold had a 68-yarder at the Los Angeles Rams 10/24/93.
* Punted three times for 139 yards (46.3 avg) with one punt inside the 20 and a long of 53 yards at Dallas (12/31).

2005: Finished the 2005 season first in the NFL with punts downed inside-the-20 with 34 on the season.

* Had a punt downed inside-the-20 in all 16 games of the 2005 season and has a streak of 18 games with punts downed inside the 20-yard line dating back to the 2004 season.
* Had two games with four punts downed inside-the-20 in 2005 (Green Bay 9/11 and at New Orleans 12/24).
* Handled kickoffs as well as punts vs. Green Bay (9/11).
* Put the Bucs inside the 20-yard line three times at Tampa Bay (10/2).
* Had a then-season-long 59-yard punt vs. Chicago (10/30), pinning the Bears down at their own 1-yard line. His punt was one yard short of his career long.
* Tied his career long punt of 60 yards at Minnesota (11/6) in the first quarter. Also had a career high game average of 52.6.
* Reached 100 career punts downed inside-the-20 against Arizona (11/13). Pinned the Cardinals at the 2-yard line, allowing for a DT Dan Wilkinson safety.
* Downed two punts inside-the-20 at Green Bay (12/11).

2004: Finished the season tied for second in the NFL with 32 punts downed inside the 20-yard line.

* Has the second-most punts downed inside the 20-yard line in a single season in Lions’ annals with 32. He finished one behind John Jett, who recorded 33 in 2000.
* Tied for third in the NFL by forcing 24 fair catches on the season. Saints P Mitch Berger and Titans P Craig Heinrich led the category with 25 punts that were signaled fair catches.
* Averaged 48.7 yards per punt (seven punts for 341 yards), dropping three inside the 20-yard line in his 50th career game vs. Philadelphia (9/26).
* Punted the ball seven times for 308 yards (44.0 avg), including a then career-long 58-yarder at Atlanta (10/10).
* Dropped a season-high four punts inside-the-20 at Green Bay (12/12).
* Averaged 45 yards per punt on three punts vs. Minnesota (12/19).
* Booted a career-long 60-yard punt at Tennessee (1/2), and averaged 43.0 yards/punt on five punts against the Titans.

2003: Bengals’ primary punter for the first five games of season.

* Signed by the Lions on October 14.
* Dropped a season-high three punts inside-the-20 vs. Green Bay (11/27) and finished with six punts for 217 yards and no touchbacks.
* Had Lions’ season-highs in punts (nine) and punt yards (387) vs. San Diego (12/7) with his nine punts in the game also tied a career-high.

2002: Second season as the Bengals’ No. 1 punter and finished with a plus-seven differential on inside-20 kicks (11) compared to touchbacks (four).

* Total touchbacks were the fewest among regular AFC punters.
* With only four touchbacks in 64 kicks, his touchback percentage (6.2) was the NFL’s third-best behind only Chicago’s Brad Maynard (2.3) and Houston’s Chad Stanley (5.3).
* Handled 50 holds on place kicks (18 FG, 32 PAT) without a muff, helping K Neil Rackers post an 83.3% accuracy rate on field goals (15-of-18), tied for seventh among all NFL kickers with 15-or-more attempts.
* Averaged 44.2 yards on five punts in season opener vs. San Diego (9/8), including a season-long 57-yarder that tied his career-high.
* Averaged 43.7 yards on a season-high nine punts vs. Tampa Bay (9/29), with two inside-20s and one touchback.
* Inactive at Carolina (12/8) as coaches elected to give rookie Travis Dorsch his first game action, but returned for the final three games of the season.

2001: Acquired by the Cincinnati Bengals on waiver claim on August 29.

* Had 21 inside-the-20 kicks against just six touchbacks, and his plus-15 differential in those categories was Bengals’ best since plus-19 by Lee Johnson (27-8) in 1997.
* Helped Bengals punting unit yield only 8.0 yards per return, ranked eighth in the NFL.
* Had at least one inside-the-20 punt in each of season’s first 12 games.
* Had season-high punting average (46.7), three inside-20 kicks and tied for season-long punt (57) at Jacksonville (11/11).

COLLEGE:
Regarded by many as the premier punter in college football during his Cal career where he averaged 42.3 yards per punt, and his 13,621 total yards broke previous NCAA mark of 12,947 by TCU’s Cameron Young.
* Placed 92 of his punts (28.6 percent) inside-the-20 and also held for place kicks.
* Earned consensus All-American honors in 2000.
* Had his best season average, 44.7 yards, as a junior in 1999.
* Well-conditioned athlete who had Cal’s fastest 10-yard dash (1.77) and second-best 20-yard shuttle time (4.17).

PERSONAL:
Attended Westview (Ariz.) High School where he earned National Coaches’ Association All-America honors as a senior with 42.3-yard punting average.
* Also earned prep all-state honors as a linebacker and saw action on offense as a receiver and a rusher.
* All-state prep soccer player as well.
* Holds a bachelor’s degree in American studies and a master’s degree in education from the University of California.
* Married to wife Heather with whom he has a son, Drew.
* Full name is Nicholas John Harris.

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