Murray State University Athletics
Runnin' With The Racers Podcast - Pokey Harris
11/26/2020 12:36:00 PM | Baseball, Football
Former Murray State football student-athlete Pokey Harris, well known for being one of only three players in Ohio Valley Conference history to have two 100-yard kick off returns, is our guest on the Runnin' with the Racers Podcast, episode 117.
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The Runnin' with the Racers Podcast posts each week to GoRacers.com, iTunes and Soundcloud.
This article on GoRacers.com is brought to you by McConnell Insurance.
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Harris arrived at Murray State in the fall of 2012 from Clark High School in Winchester, Kentucky, recruited by coach Chris Hatcher. In addition, Harris was a baseball player and set out to become a force in two sports.
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However, it was football Harris became known for and especially his blazing speed that could change games in one play. Never was this on display more than in back-to-back games in the fall of 2014 when Harris had a pair of kick returns for touchdowns, each of 100 yards.
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The first one happened in Charleston, Illinois on Nov. 8, 2014 when Harris took a kickoff back 100 yards to become the 11th player in OVC history to accomplish the feat. A week later on Nov 15, Harris did it again when he returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown in Richmond, Kentucky.
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"The thing I remember most, is being very confident in myself and I was comfortable inside the game," Harris recalled. "The other thing that was good for me, was Coach Hatcher and myself had good chemistry. I felt like he trusted me. There were several times when I just said to myself, I can take this all the way."
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Entering the 2014 season. only nine OVC players had ever returned a kickoff 100 yards for a score. After the return at EKU, Harris joined EKU's Leon Brown (1989 and 1992) and Tennessee State's Avion Black (both in 1999) as the only OVC players to have a pair of 100-yard returns in conference history.
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Harris'Â 2014 season remains as the best specialist season for the Racers. However, when the campaign began, MSU's opponents didn't know what Harris was capable of, but the word soon got around after he had 132 yards of returns in the season opener at Louisville. Harris led the OVC with 920 total return yards. He was OVC Specialist of the Year and named to eight separate All-America first-teams, including five of the seven universally recognized teams by the FCS Athletic Directors Association, the Sports Network and the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the College Sporting News and TonySoftli.com.
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In four seasons, Harris was a duel-threat rusher, pass catcher, and ended up with career totals of 690 yards on the ground and 316 in the air. In 78 career kickoff returns, he averaged 24.9 yards per attempt. His 78 career returns and total yards (1,944) are all first in Racer history.
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In three seasons of baseball, playing for Coach Rob McDonald and Kevin Moulder, Harris appeared in 64 career games with 25 hits (three home runs) seven runs batted in and eight stolen bases.
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Now living in Jacksonville, Florida, Harris writes and produces his own music in his home studio that he built himself. Music is a passion for Harris and it compliments his career path that currently has him as general manager for a physical therapy business.
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"I love music and I do a little producing and engineering on my own," Harris said. "It's a passion of mine to get into the music industry. I produce R&B, hip hop, Rieggaeton, but writing my own material is something that I am concentrating on."
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As a television production major, Pokey Harris received a Murray State education that is allowing him to pursue his dreams as a professional, even after his pursuit of being a professional athlete ended. It is a fact for any student-athlete and they're better off when they understand it early. That is, pursue the pro sport, but don't neglect the student part, because most student-athletes will go pro in something other than their sport.
Â
"I tell people all the time that my days at Murray State were my better days, so far in my life. The campus, the people, the entire place is a loving environment. The best thing down here in north Florida, I'm around Racers all the time. Duncan McCormick, Preston French, who played MSU golf are here. Duane Brady, a teammate of mine, is here. I keep in touch with many of those guys I played with. And I graduated with no student debt! I am thankful for the opportunity I had to come to Murray State and play football and baseball."
About Runnin' With The Racers Podcast
Murray State Basketball great Jonathan Stark was the first guest when the pilot episode posted Aug. 29, 2018, The podcast is produced weekly and usually is available by Wednesday. The Runnin' with the Racers Podcast is mainly guest driven with news and notes of the week from the Racers. Dave Winder, MSU Athletics Associate AD for Media Relations is the host. The podcast is available on GoRacers.com, ITunes and Soundcloud.
Â
Â
The Runnin' with the Racers Podcast posts each week to GoRacers.com, iTunes and Soundcloud.
This article on GoRacers.com is brought to you by McConnell Insurance.
Â
Harris arrived at Murray State in the fall of 2012 from Clark High School in Winchester, Kentucky, recruited by coach Chris Hatcher. In addition, Harris was a baseball player and set out to become a force in two sports.
Â
However, it was football Harris became known for and especially his blazing speed that could change games in one play. Never was this on display more than in back-to-back games in the fall of 2014 when Harris had a pair of kick returns for touchdowns, each of 100 yards.
Â
The first one happened in Charleston, Illinois on Nov. 8, 2014 when Harris took a kickoff back 100 yards to become the 11th player in OVC history to accomplish the feat. A week later on Nov 15, Harris did it again when he returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown in Richmond, Kentucky.
Â
"The thing I remember most, is being very confident in myself and I was comfortable inside the game," Harris recalled. "The other thing that was good for me, was Coach Hatcher and myself had good chemistry. I felt like he trusted me. There were several times when I just said to myself, I can take this all the way."
Â
Entering the 2014 season. only nine OVC players had ever returned a kickoff 100 yards for a score. After the return at EKU, Harris joined EKU's Leon Brown (1989 and 1992) and Tennessee State's Avion Black (both in 1999) as the only OVC players to have a pair of 100-yard returns in conference history.
Â
Harris'Â 2014 season remains as the best specialist season for the Racers. However, when the campaign began, MSU's opponents didn't know what Harris was capable of, but the word soon got around after he had 132 yards of returns in the season opener at Louisville. Harris led the OVC with 920 total return yards. He was OVC Specialist of the Year and named to eight separate All-America first-teams, including five of the seven universally recognized teams by the FCS Athletic Directors Association, the Sports Network and the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the College Sporting News and TonySoftli.com.
Â
In four seasons, Harris was a duel-threat rusher, pass catcher, and ended up with career totals of 690 yards on the ground and 316 in the air. In 78 career kickoff returns, he averaged 24.9 yards per attempt. His 78 career returns and total yards (1,944) are all first in Racer history.
Â
In three seasons of baseball, playing for Coach Rob McDonald and Kevin Moulder, Harris appeared in 64 career games with 25 hits (three home runs) seven runs batted in and eight stolen bases.
Â
Now living in Jacksonville, Florida, Harris writes and produces his own music in his home studio that he built himself. Music is a passion for Harris and it compliments his career path that currently has him as general manager for a physical therapy business.
Â
"I love music and I do a little producing and engineering on my own," Harris said. "It's a passion of mine to get into the music industry. I produce R&B, hip hop, Rieggaeton, but writing my own material is something that I am concentrating on."
Â
As a television production major, Pokey Harris received a Murray State education that is allowing him to pursue his dreams as a professional, even after his pursuit of being a professional athlete ended. It is a fact for any student-athlete and they're better off when they understand it early. That is, pursue the pro sport, but don't neglect the student part, because most student-athletes will go pro in something other than their sport.
Â
"I tell people all the time that my days at Murray State were my better days, so far in my life. The campus, the people, the entire place is a loving environment. The best thing down here in north Florida, I'm around Racers all the time. Duncan McCormick, Preston French, who played MSU golf are here. Duane Brady, a teammate of mine, is here. I keep in touch with many of those guys I played with. And I graduated with no student debt! I am thankful for the opportunity I had to come to Murray State and play football and baseball."
About Runnin' With The Racers Podcast
Murray State Basketball great Jonathan Stark was the first guest when the pilot episode posted Aug. 29, 2018, The podcast is produced weekly and usually is available by Wednesday. The Runnin' with the Racers Podcast is mainly guest driven with news and notes of the week from the Racers. Dave Winder, MSU Athletics Associate AD for Media Relations is the host. The podcast is available on GoRacers.com, ITunes and Soundcloud.
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Players Mentioned
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