Tommie Harris Selected for Texas Football Hall of Fame

[CenTexDave]

WACO (January 20, 2012) -- Join the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame in honoring the Class of 2012 by purchasing tickets to the May 19 banquet at the Ferrell Center. Tickets are $40 for adults and $10 for students. Contact Tiffany Wilkins at (210) 290-8570 or tiffnjake@hotmail.com to order yours.Members are selected by a statewide committee made up of sportswriters, high school football coaches and members of the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame Board of Trustees.The Class of 2012:

2000s: Tommie Harris, Killeen Ellison High School: Four-year starter at defensive tackle for the Eagles, Harris earned all-state honors as a junior (the first team’s only non-senior) after recording 139 tackles, 21 for losses, 6 sacks and 2 forced fumbles for a 3-7 team. Double- and even triple-teamed as a senior, his numbers declined but his stock soared. The 6-3, 285-pounder was named to Texas Football’s Super Team and rated the state’s top defensive line prospect. Recruiting analyst Tom Lemming ranked him the No. 35 overall prospect in the nation and he lived up to the billing at Oklahoma, earning all-America honors as a sophomore and junior and winning the Lombardi Trophy before declaring for the NFL draft. He was named in 2009 to Sports Illustrated’s college football all-decade team. Taken in the first round by Chicago in 2004, he has been to three Pro Bowls in his first six seasons.

Congrats to this outstanding player and person.

[sojourner truth]

I remember sitting next to his mom and dad during an Ellison game. He made a magnificent sack for a 10 yard loss on the opposing quarterback. When he come back to the bench and looked up at his folks, his mom shouted down to him "mommas gonna make you some meatloaf and mashed potatoes for that one". The look on his face was priceless. His parents have good reason to be very proud of this young man.

[dawglover]

WACO (January 20, 2012) -- Join the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame in honoring the Class of 2012 by purchasing tickets to the May 19 banquet at the Ferrell Center. Tickets are $40 for adults and $10 for students. Contact Tiffany Wilkins at (210) 290-8570 or tiffnjake@hotmail.com to order yours.Members are selected by a statewide committee made up of sportswriters, high school football coaches and members of the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame Board of Trustees.The Class of 2012:

2000s: Tommie Harris, Killeen Ellison High School: Four-year starter at defensive tackle for the Eagles, Harris earned all-state honors as a junior (the first team’s only non-senior) after recording 139 tackles, 21 for losses, 6 sacks and 2 forced fumbles for a 3-7 team. Double- and even triple-teamed as a senior, his numbers declined but his stock soared. The 6-3, 285-pounder was named to Texas Football’s Super Team and rated the state’s top defensive line prospect. Recruiting analyst Tom Lemming ranked him the No. 35 overall prospect in the nation and he lived up to the billing at Oklahoma, earning all-America honors as a sophomore and junior and winning the Lombardi Trophy before declaring for the NFL draft. He was named in 2009 to Sports Illustrated’s college football all-decade team. Taken in the first round by Chicago in 2004, he has been to three Pro Bowls in his first six seasons.

Congrats to this outstanding player and person.

Wonderful. Tommy deserves it.

[CenTexDave]

He was a senior when Cove finally beat Ellison for the first time. The year prior Cove had Vontez Duff and Harris never let Duff get loose for any yardage. Jack Welch learned his lesson well and came up with those counter-trap draw plays which flowed away from Tommie Harris.
He is, without a doubt, the best defensive lineman to ever come out of the CenTex.

[CenTexDave]

Well, maybe he is. Didn't "Mean" Joe Greene play at Temple HS? :)

[fchafey]

Well he played at Dunbar-Meridith High School in Temple, Texas. According to what Mean Joe said in an article it was an all black school. So I wouldnt argue the fact that Tommie Harris and Mean Joe were the two finest defenseman to come out of this area.

[CenTexDave]

Never heard of that school. Must have already closed when I came here over 30 years ago.

[fchafey]

Seems the last class left 1971. Thats a bit late to think it was still all black. But then again, I didnt grow up down here.

[gnatsum]

Temple High School didn't admit Black students until 1966 or so, and only a few. Dunbar finally closed by '71 or so, when the campus was turned into Dunbar Elementary.
One theory why Temple HS didn't take in Blacks earlier was that the old campus downtown wasn't large enough, but the new THS (the current THS) would accommodate them. The old campus was torn down except for the gymnasium, which still stands and is used by a local private school for basketball/volleyball games.

The downtown library has a partial collection of THS yearbooks, and there aren't ANY Blacks in THS until '65 or '66.

[CenTexDave]

Anybody know where it was located?

[sojourner truth]

In Temple....

[CenTexDave]

Thanks, ST. :))

[gnatsum]

Meredith-Dunbar is on the southwest of downtown Temple, at 1717 W. Avenue J. Looked it up on the internet. It's not where I thought it was (originally thought another campus was Dunbar High back then). Was built in 1952 to replace an older colored-only high school.

Unless you meant the old THS gymnasium, which is 102 W. Elm. City of Temple Parks & Rec calls it the Clarence Martin Gym now. The bank across Elm fronting on 3rd Street, sits on the site of the previous Temple High, or so I've been told.