Willard Harrell
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Stockton, California, U.S.
| No. 40, 39 | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Positions | Running back, return specialist | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born | September 16, 1952 Stockton, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 162 lb (73 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||
| High school | Edison (Stockton) | ||||||||||||||||||
| College | Pacific (1971–1974) | ||||||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1975: 3rd round, 58th overall pick | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||||||
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Willard Harrell (born September 16, 1952) is an American former professional football player who was a running back and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons with the Green Bay Packers and seven years with the St. Louis Cardinals. He played college football for the Pacific Tigers and was selected by the Packers in the third round (58th overall) of the 1975 NFL draft.
He went to Edison High School, Stockton, California, in the late 1960s and early 1970s and played under its legendary coach, Charlie Washington.
College career
Harrell attended the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. Known for his speed, San Diego State University head football coach Claude Gilbert said of Harrell, "When he's even, he's leavin'".[1] He was named the co- MVP of the 1974 East-West Shrine Game, the first in the annual series to be held at Stanford Stadium.[2][3] Pacific retired his number, 39, in May, 1986. This was the year after he announced his retirement from the NFL. As of 2021, he is one of only four Pacific football players to have his number retired. The others are Eddie LeBaron, Dick Bass and Eddie Macon.[4]