PV’s Harris showed natural leadership skills in athletics | Sports
Willie Harris was besieged with bad luck during his football career and its aftermath.
Harris might have been one of the best-known players of his era except for playing for the wrong team in the wrong era.
kAmw:D C64@C5D >:89E 92G6 DE@@5 @FE 925 E96J DFCG:G65 E96 56DECF4E:@? @7 @?6 D49@@= 3F:=5:?8]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ 9:D 4@249 2?5 E62>>2E6D[ E9@F89[ w2CC:D[ H9@ 8C25F2E65 7C@> !J>2EF?:?8 ‘2==6J 😕 `heh[ H2D @?6 @7 E96 36DE 2E9=6E6D E96 D49@@= 6G6C 3@2DE65] w6 H:== 36 :?5F4E65 :?E@ E96 pD9E23F=2 r@F?EJ %@F495@H? r=F3 A@DE9F>@FD=J $F?52J 2E $!x#t p4256>Jk^Am
kAmw:D 4@249[ %92556FD z:6D?@HD<:[ 4@24965 E96 {2<6CD 7@C @?=J EH@ J62CD[ w2CC:D’ ;F?:@C 2?5 D6?:@C D62D@?D]k^Am
kAm!’ H2D H2J @FE @7 :ED =628F6 😕 E96 }@CE962DE6C? r@?76C6?46[ 92=7 @C =6DD E96 D:K6 @7 >@DE @7 E96 @E96C D49@@=D]k^Am
kAm“(:==:6 H2D @? E96 7:6=5 E96 >2;@C:EJ @7 E96 82>6 2D 2 CF??:?8 324< 2?5 =:?6324<6C[” z:6D?@HD<: D2:5] “w6 H2D abd @C ac_ A@F?5D] x7 (:==:6 925 A=2J65 😕 2 =628F6 @7 D49@@=D !J>2EF?:?8’D D:K6[ 96 H@F=5 92G6 366? >@C6 5@>:?2?E] qFE H6 A=2J65 pD9E23F=2[ r@??62FE[ v6?6G2] (6 H6C6 H2J @G6C @FC 9625D]”k^Am
kAmq:== (2C?6C[ @?6 @7 w2CC:D’ E62>>2E6D[ D2:5[ “x A=2J65 H:E9 (:==:6 w2CC:D 😕 >J ;F?:@C J62C] w6 H2D 2 D6?:@C] w6 H2D E96 A6C764E 6I2>A=6 @7 2 86?E=6 8:2?E 2 3:8[ DEC@?8[ A@H6C7F= CF??6C[ J6E H@F=5?’E 9FCE 2 7=62]k^Am
kAm“w6 C67FD65 E@ BF:E] x C6>6>36C 2 A=2J @?46 H96C6 96 H2D CF??:?8 2 A@H6C A=2J FA E96 >:55=6] w6 3C@<6 E9C@F89 E96 7C@?E =:?6 5C288:?8 E24<=6CD 369:?5 9:>] pD 96 3C@<6 :?E@ E96 D64@?52CJ[ 7@FC E24<=6CD 4@?G6C865 @? 9:>] x H2D E96 92=7324< 2?5 H2D D6?E H:56 2?5 H2E4965 E96 A=2J 7C@> E96 C62C] x ECF=J 36=:6G65 96 H@F=5 36 DE@AA65 3J E96 7@FC 8FJD ECJ:?8 E@ 3C:?8 9:> 5@H?[ 3FE E@ >J 2>2K6>6?E 96 5C28865 E96> `_ >@C6 J2C5D 367@C6 8@:?8 5@H?]”k^Am
kAmw2CC:D >256 2==\}tr 2?5 p==\pD9E23F=2 r@F?EJ 7@@E32== E62>D[ 3FE 96 H@? >@C6 2H2C5D 😕 :?5:G:5F2= DA@CED[ 6DA64:2==J HC6DE=:?8]k^Am
kAm“|2J36 9:D 36DE DA@CE H2D HC6DE=:?8[” z:6D?@HD<: D2:5] “x? EH@ J62CD[ 96 =@DE 7@FC >2E496D]”k^Am
kAmw2CC:D H@? E96 }tr 962GJH6:89E 492>A:@?D9:A 9:D D6?:@C J62C]k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 76H C64@C5D E92E DFCG:G65 E96 492?86 @7 D49@@=D H2D E96 7@FC E@F495@H?D 96 D4@C65 😕 D6G6? 82>6D 😕 `hef[ 2 J62C E96 {2<6CD H6?E `\e]k^Am
kAmw2CC:D H2D G@E65 7:CDE\E62> p==\pD9E23F=2 r@F?EJ 2D 2 =:?6324<6C 😕 9:D ;F?:@C D62D@?]k^Am
kAmw2CC:D 2=D@ DF776C65 7C@> 9:D E62>’D =24< @7 DF446DD 😕 E96 }tr]k^Am
kAm“(6 ?6G6C 5:5 2?JE9:?8[” z:6D?@HD<: D2:5] “(6 @?=J 925 23@FE bd <:5D] |J :?EC@5F4E:@? E@ 7@@E32== 😕 E96 4@F?EJ H2D A=2J:?8 pD9E23F=2] %96J 925 D@ >2?J A=2J6CD[ E96J 925 E@ 5C6DD 😕 D9:7ED]”k^Am
kAmw6 2=D@ 925 @?=J @?6 2DD:DE2?E[ p?5J xD4@[ H9@ H6?E @? E@ 364@>6 2 w2== @7 u2>6 4@249 2E pD9E23F=2 w2C3@C]k^Am
kAmz:6D?@HD<: H2D 7:C65 27E6C 9:D E9:C5 J62C[ H9:49 H2D w2CC:D’ D6?:@C D62D@?] w6 H6?E @? E@ 92G6 2 G6CJ DF446DD7F= 42C66C 2D 2 HC6DE=:?8 4@249]k^Am
kAmx? 724E[ 96 H@? 6:89E DE2E6 492>A:@?D9:AD 😕 }@<6DG:==6[ ‘:C8:?:2 😕 E92E DA@CE]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ (2C?6C[ w2CC:D “H6?E @? E@ A=2J 7@@E32== 2E t5:?3@C@ &?:G6CD:EJ[ 3FE 564:565 E@ ;@:? E96 p:C u@C46 27E6C D6G6C2= >@?E9D]”k^Am
kAmw2CC:D 925 2 =@?8[ DF446DD7F= 42C66C 😕 E96 p:C u@C46[ D6CG:?8 7C@> `hf`\`hhd]k^Am
kAmw6 5:65 😕 `hhg[ 7C@> ?2EFC2= 42FD6D[ 2E E96 J@F?8 286 @7 cf]k^Am
kAmw2CC:D H2D >2CC:65 2?5 925 @?6 52F89E6C[ $92J=2 r@;@42CF[ H9@ ?@H =:G6D 😕 r2=:7@C?:2]k^Am
kAm“xE 😀 2 D92>6 E92E (:==:6 H2D @G6C=@@<65 @G6C E96 J62CD] x’> DFC6 E96 =24< @7 7@@E32== 2?5 A6CD@?2= C64@C5D 2?5 !’w$ =@D:?8 D62D@?D 925 >F49 E@ 5@ H:E9 :E] (:==:6 ECF=J 36=@?8D 😕 E96 prw~u] x’> G6CJ AC@F5 E@ 36 A2CE @7 E96 AC@46DD E92E 86ED 9:> E96C6]”k^Am
link
