Demone Harris

BIOGRAPHY

Demone Harris, born on December 30, 1995, is an acclaimed American professional football player, particularly known for his remarkable skills as a linebacker. He started his career with the National Football League (NFL), initially playing for the Atlanta Falcons. Harris is a versatile athlete, who initially showed palpable skill in basketball during his high school years at the Bishop Timon – St. Jude High School in Buffalo, before he gravitated towards football in his junior year.

Intriguingly, it was at the University at Buffalo where Harris had his initial soiree with football. He walked on to the football team and underwent a redshirt year during his freshman stint. Striking everyone with his dedication, and determined commitment to the sport, as a redshirt junior in 2017, he received a nomination for the venerable Burlsworth Trophy and was named to the All-Mid-American Conference Second Team.

Soon after college, Harris began his professional football career on April 30, 2018, when he was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent. However, Harris was waived on September 1 and was subsequently assigned to the practice squad the next day. Undeterred by challenges, he made a significant comeback on October 10 by being promoted to the active roster and debuted in the NFL on October 14, making four special team snaps in a game against the Atlanta Falcons.

After a brief hiatus from the active roster, Harris signed a reserve/future contract with the Buccaneers on December 31, 2018. Despite being waived by the Buccaneers and re-signed to the practice squad in October 2019, Harris didn’t give up. His talent and perseverance caught the attention of the Baltimore Ravens, who signed him to their practice squad following an injury to their linebacker Pernell McPhee later that month.

On November 21, 2019, the Kansas City Chiefs recognized Harris’s ability and signed him from the Ravens’ practice squad. Harris played his first game for the Chiefs on December 8 at the iconic Gillette Stadium. His professional career experienced a significant milestone when he recorded his first career tackle in the same game against Rex Burkhead of the New England Patriots. This became even sweeter when Harris and the Chiefs won Super Bowl LIV 31-20 against the San Francisco 49ers on February 2, 2020.

His journey with the Chiefs continued with some ups and downs, but Harris demonstrated his skill in the 2020 season, recording three tackles of Melvin Gordon in a decisive win over the Denver Broncos. Despite a brief hiatus, Harris re-signed with the Chiefs on February 9, 2021.

The following year unveiled new opportunities for Harris when he signed a reserve/future contract with the Houston Texans on January 11, 2022. His journey with the Texans was marked by a string of elevations to the active roster, waivers, and re-signings to the practice squad. Unfortunately, his stint with the Texans ended when he was released by them on August 2, 2023, leading him to announce his retirement from the NFL. However, much to the delight of all his fans, Harris made an unexpected return to the NFL when he signed with the Atlanta Falcons on August 15, 2023. In spite of several releases, waivers, and re-signings, he concluded the 2023 season by signing a reserve/future contract with the Falcons on January 10, 2024.

Harris’ journey is replete with instances of his commitment and resilience in the face of adversity. Even after being released by the Falcons in 2024, Harris was not deterred and re-signed to their practice squad, thus continuing his illustrious football career in a manner akin to his journey’s beginnings. His rich and eventful career is a clear testament to his passion for the sport and his never-give-up attitude.