The Hamburg Sea Devils have added another top player to their defense. Deion Harris was traded as a first-round pick in the NFL in 2017 and will now play in the European League of Football next season.
- Injury probably prevents NFL career
- Most recently in the XFL and CFL
- DC Ellison is looking forward to his new addition
A torn Achilles tendon changed everything. In July 2017, Deion Harris sustained this serious injury. Just months earlier, US analysts had ranked the cornerback as the number 18 most promising prospect for the 2018 draft – just two places behind Saquon Barkley, now the star running back for the New York Giants. To get back to 100 percent, Harris added one more college season for North Dakota State, but was not considered by the NFL teams in the 2019 draft.
This was followed by training camps with the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins, who eventually signed him. Harris played in all games of the 2019 pre-season for the Redskins, but missed the final roster and was initially placed in the practice squad in Washington, where he was sorted out in October. After appearances for the DC Defenders in the XFL in 2020 and for the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL in 2022, Harris has now landed with the Sea Devils in the ELF.
NFL, D1, XFL – he’s got it all. ✨ Welcome @deionharris24 to the 040 ????#CatchTheWave #HSDSignings23
????: DC Defenders / North Dakota Fighting Hawks pic.twitter.com/0DDi98JOly— Hamburg Sea Devils (@SeaDevilsHH) February 5, 2023
“Deion is exactly what we were looking for. His physique and playing experience are impressive,” said Kendral Ellison, the Sea Devils’ defensive coordinator, who put together the best defense in the ELF for Hamburg last season. “Having served in the NFL, CFL and XFL, he brings a level of professionalism that will be infectious,” Ellison continued. Harris said: “The expectations for the coming season are limitless, we will give everything. Excited is an understatement considering how I feel regarding the upcoming season. Believe it or not, we will fight for everything.”
On June 3, Hamburg will start the new season of the European League of Football with an away game at the Wroclaw Panthers.