New Jersey City University Athletics

Among the most prolific running backs in New Jersey Athletic Conference history, Daniel Harrison was a three-time First-Team All-New Jersey Athletic Conference selection and the all-time leading rusher in NJCU history. During his three seasons on the gridiron for NJCU, he set a school career rushing record with 2,592 yards in just 29 games, ending his career with an average of 89.4 yards per game. The pre­vious career rushing mark was 2,259 yards. Harrison amassed nine 100-yard rushing games, and two games of at least 200-yards.
 
In 2000, Harrison was awarded the “Tony Mezzina Memorial Trophy” awarded annually to the football player who displayed excellence in athletic ability, leadership, and commitment.
 
Harrison burst onto the Division III college scene in 1998 as a sopho­more transfer, rushing for 1,289 yards–the third highest single-season total in NJCU history. Harrison registered a mind-boggling 128.9 yards per game–more than some teams in the conference averaged–and 131.5 all-purpose yards. He scored six touchdowns and averaged 5.2 yards per carry en route to his first of three straight all-conference selections and a First-Team All-ECAC Metro NY/NJ Division III pick. The Knights finished the year 6-4 and 2-3 in the NJAC.
 
The shining moment of his rookie season at NJCU was the Knights’ 27-17 win over Kean on October 17, 1998. Har­rison exploded for 281 yards on 37 carries–just 40 yards shy of the school record–in just three quar­ters of play. He left the game with cramps; otherwise he likely would have owned that record as well.
 
 In total, Harrison had six 100-yard days in 1998. In his first ever game for NJCU on September 5, 1998, the tailback collected 143 yards against UMass-Lowell. He followed that performance with a 23-carry, 160-yard showing on Sep­tember 12 against SUNY-Brockport and 139 yard against Western Connecticut (September 19) because posting another monster 200-yard performance in a 41-7 trouncing of St. John Fisher on October 10, when Harrison darted for 206 yards and three touchdowns—giving the Knights their best start after five games since 1984.
 
His 206-yard performance, which came on just 21 carries, earned him ECAC Division III Metro Offensive Player of the Week and Star Ledger Athlete of the Week honors, and Harrison collected ECAC Division III Metro honor roll status the following week when he notched his career-high 281-yard effort.
 
He earned ECAC Division III Offensive Player of the Week honors again on November 1, 1998 after rushing for his sixth straight 100-yard game and scoring the winning touchdown, accounting for 64 of 65 yards in a third quarter touchdown drive in a 15-9 win over William Paterson University on October 30, as he collected 151 yards..
 
For the season in 1998 he was third on the team in scoring with 36 points and had 1,315 all-purpose yards. He added three catches for 26 yards (8.7 yards per reception).
 
Harrison earned All-Conference status again in 1999 with a 624-yard, five-touchdown performance in just nine games, carrying 116 times, despite the Knights shifting to a run and shoot offense. Harrison averaged 69.3 yards per game and 5.4 per carry, as well as 93.6 all-purpose yards. He averaged 93.6 yards per game in the conference and amassed 842 all-purpose yards and caught 18 passes for 152 yards (8.4 per reception) and one touchdown.
 
Harrison was named NJAC Offensive Player of the Week on November 7, 1999 after he gained a season-high 164 yards against a Montclair State defense which had allowed just 111.5 yards per game. He scored two first-half touchdowns to help NJCU build a 14-7 lead against the eventual NJAC champions on November 6. Harrison also posted a 138-yard, 25-carry effort on October 30 versus William Paterson.
 
As a senior in 2000 he was the leader of an offense that featured two First-Team All-Conference running backs and Harrison led the league in rushing with 679 yards and five touchdowns. He averaged 3.9 yards per attempt and 67.9 yards per game, carrying the ball 176 times. He led NJCU in scoring with 30 points and collected 699 all-purpose yards, averaging 69.9 per game. In the final game of his collegiate career on November 11, 2000, Harrison cemented his legacy with 21 carries for 98 yards and a key touchdown as the Knights ended the year with a win over William Paterson. After completing his playing career, he remained with the program as a volunteer assistant coach in 2001.