Deed Harris

Deed Harris
Biographical details
Born(1876-06-05)June 5, 1876
Brookville, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedMay 28, 1961(1961-05-28) (aged 84)
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1907–1914Carlisle (assistant)
1917Carlisle
Head coaching record
Overall3–6

Leo Faller "Deed" Harris (June 6, 1876 – May 28, 1961) was an American sportsman who coached, scouted, and refereed football, baseball, and basketball.[1] In 1917, he was the last coach of the Carlisle Indians football team. J.S. Steckbeck states that the team was forced to travel far off the Carlisle Barracks campus for practice because of a measles epidemic, lost practice time, and the result was that the team closed the season with 2 wins and 7 losses.[2][3] In reality, the poor season was likely the inexperienced and young players. Pop Warner visited Carlisle in September 1917 to help prepare the squad and commented "not to expect great things from the team" and a "great football team cannot be developed in one season."[4]

It is unknown how the nickname "Deed" originated but it was used by J.S. Steckbeck in his book Fabulous Redmen.[5] Harris is incorrectly referred to as "D.D. Harris" in Anderson's book Carlisle vs. Army.[6] Harris was called a local “football authority” due to his involvement in coaching, refereeing, and scouting.[7]

Harris married into sports when he wed Irene Smith on June 5, 1909. Irene Smith was from a prominent Harrisburg, Pennsylvania family. Irene's brother was Harvey Smith, a noted surgeon in Harrisburg. Harvey Smith played infield on the Bucknell University baseball team for three seasons and for the Washington Senators during the 1896 season. Smith is credited with discovering future hall of fame pitcher Christy Mathewson, another Bucknell alumnus.[8] Harris' other brother-in-law was Paul G. Smith, who coached football and baseball for Bucknell University in 1908. In 1909, Smith coached football at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. While Smith worked as an attorney and judge, he coached football part-time at Central High School in Harrisburg and refereed. Harris was Smith's assistant coach at Central High School.

Pop Warner used Harris as an assistant coach and scout for the Carlisle Indian Industrial School's football program between 1907 and 1914, and according to Steckbeck, Harris accompanied the team on its trips. Harris and Warner maintained a close friendship until Warner's death in 1954.[9] Harris also scouted for football programs at the University of Pittsburgh,[10] Temple, Navy,[11] and Penn State.[12]

  1. ^ "Deed Harris Coaching Record". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  2. ^ Steckbeck, J. S. (1951) Fabulous Redmen: The Carlisle Indians and their famous football teams. J. H. McFarland Co., p 130.
  3. ^ Note this record is different than that cited at Sports-Reference.com.
  4. ^ Harrisburg Telegraph 2 Mar 1918
  5. ^ Steckbeck, J. S. (1951) Fabulous Redmen: The Carlisle Indians and their famous football teams. J. H. McFarland Co., p 130.
  6. ^ Anderson, L. (2007). Carlisle vs. army: Jim thorpe, dwight eisenhower, pop warner, and the forgotten story of football's greatest battle (1st ed.). Random House, p. 209.
  7. ^ Harrisburg Telegraph Local Football Authority Is Cited For Good Work; Tribute to Leo Harris, Nov 19, 1919, p 15.
  8. ^ "Harvey Smith – Society for American Baseball Research".
  9. ^ Personal letter from Glenn Warner to Leo Harris dated February 7, 1954.
  10. ^ Keck, Harry (December 2, 1919). "Harrisburg Tech Makes Great Record". Sporting Chit-Chat. The Gazette Times. Pittsburgh. p. 13.
  11. ^ "Leo Harris Added to Folwell's Staff". The Pittsburgh Sunday Post. December 30, 1923. Sec. 3, p. 11.
  12. ^ The Pittsburgh Press, Leo Harris is Scout for Bezdek at State, August 5, 1924, p. 28.