Former Raiders Starter Lands New Job Ahead of 2025 Season
The Las Vegas Raiders had several years where their defense was among the worst units in the NFL. From 2017 to 2020, the Raiders never ranked in the top 20 in points allowed or better than 19th in yards allowed (via Pro Football Reference).
Advertisement
Consistency was difficult to find during that stretch, as the team continued to experiment with which defensive combination would work best. As the team transitioned into life in Las Vegas in 2020, the team was unrecognizable from 2017.
One key holdover, however, was safety Erik Harris. He played in 61 of the team's 64 games over those four years and started 30 of them. Harris was both a fixture and a bright spot for a wildly struggling defense.
Former Las Vegas Raiders Safety Erik Harris (25).Stan Szeto-Imagn Images
Harris went on to play for the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers after his tenure with the Silver and Black. He was waived by the 49ers at the beginning of last season and did not appear in the NFL in 2024.
Advertisement
With Harris now officially retired from the NFL, he is taking on a new job in his post-playing days. On Monday, Harris was announced as the head football coach at Gulf Breeze High School in Gulf Breeze, Florida.
Originally from Pennsylvania, Harris went to college at Division II California University in Pennsylvania. He went undrafted in the 2016 NFL Draft but played one year for the New Orleans Saints before joining the Raiders.
There, he spent three years in Oakland and one year in Las Vegas, totaling 189 tackles, including four for a loss, as well as five interceptions, 20 passes defended and a forced fumble. He also had two defensive touchdowns during his time with the Raiders.
Harris had two pick-sixes during the 2019 season, one of which clinched a Week 4 win against the Indianapolis Colts.
Advertisement
Related: Brock Bowers Sends Strong Message on Raiders Rookie RB Ashton Jeanty
Related: Raiders Insider Makes Prediction on Kolton Miller's Future
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
44 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Adames has HR, 3 RBIs as Giants beat Athletics 6-2
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Willy Adames homered and drew a pair of bases-loaded walks, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Athletics 6-2 on Sunday night. Tyler Fitzgerald also hit a solo homer, and Rafael Devers and Wilmer Flores each had two hits to help back an uneven but effective outing by San Francisco starter Hayden Birdsong.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
7/6 Gamethread: Giants @ Athletics
The San Francisco Giants 10-game road trip comes to a close tonight. It's been a disappointing trip, and nothing that happens today will change that, but with a win over the Athletics, the Giants will at least have gone .500 on the journey ... and will have ended it with four wins in their last five games. Taking the mound for the Giants is righty Hayden Birdsong, who makes his 20th appearance of the year and his ninth start. The 23-year old is 3-3 on the year, with a 4.30 ERA, a 4.56 FIP, and 62 strikeouts to 28 walks in 60.2 innings. He's been scuffling lately though, giving up 16 runs (14 earned) in 12.1 innings over his last three starts, including back-to-back outings with four walks each. Advertisement On the other side is lefty Jacob Lopez, a three-year veteran in his first season with the A's. In 12 games, including eight starts, Lopez is 2-4 with a 3.88 ERA, a 4.26 FIP, and 56 strikeouts against 18 walks in 46.1 innings. After three dominant starts in a row, Lopez got rocked his last time out, giving up four runs (three earned) in just three innings against his former team, the Tampa Bay Rays. Enjoy the game, everyone! Go Giants! Lineups Giants Heliot Ramos — LF Rafael Devers — DH Wilmer Flores — 1B Matt Chapman — 3B Willy Adames — SS Luis Matos — CF Mike Yastrzemski — RF Tyler Fitzgerald — 2B Andrew Knizner — C RHP. Hayden Birdsong Athletics Lawrence Butler — RF Jacob Wilson — SS Brent Rooker — DH Nick Kurtz — 1B Shea Langeliers — C Tyler Soderstrom — LF Max Muncy — 3B Zack Gelof — 2B Denzel Clarke — CF LHP. Jacob Lopez Game #91 Who: San Francisco Giants (48-42) vs. Athletics (37-54) Where: Sutter Health Park, Sacramento, California Advertisement When: 7:05 p.m. PT Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports California (Athletics coverage) National broadcast: n/a Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM More from
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Lexie Hull Reacts to Indiana Fever News on Sunday
Lexie Hull Reacts to Indiana Fever News on Sunday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Indiana Fever got some good news on Sunday following their disappointing 89-87 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday. Kelsey Mitchell was named an All-Star reserve for the upcoming 2025 WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis on July 19. Advertisement Mitchell, who is averaging a career-best 19.3 points on 45.5% shooting, 1.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.3 triples per game this season, will be joining All-Star captain Caitlin Clark and All-Star starter Aliyah Boston in what will be Mitchell's third consecutive appearance in the All-Star Game. In the loss to the Sparks, Mitchell posted 19 points on 8-of-17 shots, including three triples. Congratulations have poured in for the 29-year-old veteran, including a two-word message from Indiana teammate Lexie Hull. "yes ma'am 🥳" Hull wrote on Instagram, sharing the Fever's congratulatory post. Advertisement It is worth noting that Hull was one of the top WNBA players who received the most fan votes for the All-Star Game. She ranked eighth overall with 633,968 total votes, which speaks volumes about her popularity among the fans. However, since the media, players and coaches also vote to determine the starters and the reserves, Hull ultimately missed out on what would have been her first All-Star appearance. Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull congratulated teammate Kelsey Mitchell's All-Star selection. Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images The Fever will be well-represented in the All-Star Game, though, with no less than three players from the squad taking part in the festivities. As captain, Clark will get the opportunity to draft her own All-Star squad, which means that she could potentially be teammates with both Boston and Mitchell in the big game. Advertisement Related: Lexie Hull Steals the Show With Her Outfit for Fever-Sparks Related: Caitlin Clark, Fever Teammates React to Sophie Cunningham's Exciting Post Related: Coach Stephanie White Sends Clear Message to Fever After Ninth Loss This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
