Dwayne Harris

Dwayne Lenard Harris (born September 16, 1987) is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He played college football at East Carolina. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with the first pick of the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

Early years
Harris played quarterback at Tucker High School in Tucker, Georgia. He was considered as one of the best quarterbacks in the southeast by Prep Star Magazine. He was also a 4A All-State selection. He led Tucker to a 10-1 record his senior year.

College career
In his redshirt freshman year Harris made an impact. He played in all 13 games and was named to the conference's all freshmen team as a punt returner. ECU won the 2007 Hawaii Bowl against Boise State on an East Carolina team that also featured NFL running back, Chris Johnson. In his second playing year, he played in 10 games before injuring his foot playing against Southern Miss. Regardless of Harris' injury, ECU won the 2008 Conference USA Championship against Tulsa.

In his junior year, Harris earned a spot as C-USA's first-team wide receiver and was named C-USA Special Teams Player-of-the-Year. He also played in all 14 games, including a victory against Houston in the 2009 C-USA Championship and a loss to Arkansas in the 2010 Liberty Bowl. In his senior year, Harris played in all 13 games and won the C-USA MVP award. The Pirates lost to Maryland in the 2010 Military Bowl.

Professional career
Harris was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. In his first career pre-season appearance, he had a game to remember against the Denver Broncos, recording 5 receptions for 127 yards and 2 touchdowns (including a 76-yard touchdown reception), in 2 quarters﻿ of work. Unfotunately his first year was mostly a dissapointment, with the Cowboys even releasing him on October 18 and signing him to their practice squad. He eventually was signed back to the active roster on December 14. As a rookie he appeared in just seven games, returning 15 punts for 80 yards.

In 2012, he had his first career punt return for a touchdown during a Week 10 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. His 78-yard return broke a fourth-quarter tie and earned him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. His increased production as a returner in special teams convinced the coaching staff to give him more opportunities at wide receiver. Despite being active all season, it wasn’t until week 12 against the Washington Redskins on Thanksgiving, that he started to shine as a receiver, catching 4 passes for 71 yards.