Connected sports records
Season reference · 1989–2004
Year by year
Harris went 9–5 in fourteen starts; Pittsburgh finished 9–7.
Awards and honors
- 8× Pro Bowl
- 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2004
- 7× Most Underrated QB · Anonymous NFL Poll
- 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002
- NFL MVP finalist appearances
- 0
01 / Biography
Life and background
Maryland and the NFL draft
Harris was born on February 29, 1968, in Santa Clara, California. He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins from 1986 through 1988. Pittsburgh selected him eighteenth overall in the first round of the 1989 NFL Draft.
Rookie season and development
Harris became Pittsburgh’s starter during the 1989 season. He went 9–5 in fourteen starts; the Steelers lost their other two games and finished 9–7. Pittsburgh defeated Houston in overtime in the Wild Card Round before losing 24–23 at Denver.
He started sixteen games in every subsequent season. His first Pro Bowl selection came in 1992, when he passed for 3,678 yards and 25 touchdowns. In 1993, he threw 22 touchdowns against seven interceptions.
02 / Career & Football Identity
The player and the résumé
Jay Harris played his entire sixteen-season NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1989 through 2004. He passed for 58,868 yards and 395 touchdowns, earned eight Pro Bowl selections and led Pittsburgh to three AFC championships. His postseason record was 14–11, including three Super Bowl defeats.
Three AFC championships
Pittsburgh reached the Super Bowl in consecutive seasons in 1995 and 1996. Seattle won Super Bowl XXX, 20–13; Harris attempted 63 passes, the established Super Bowl record. The following season, Pittsburgh led Green Bay 23–7 before losing Super Bowl XXXI, 36–30.
In 2000, Harris passed for 4,028 yards and 28 touchdowns as Pittsburgh finished 9–7. The Steelers defeated Baltimore, Tennessee and Oakland on the road to Super Bowl XXXV. They led Tampa Bay 17–0 entering the fourth quarter, then were outscored 27–3 and lost 27–20. Harris threw a fourth-quarter pick-six and lost a fumble; a receiver lost a separate fumble. His other interception occurred earlier in the game.
Final seasons and retirement
Pittsburgh went 13–3 in 2001 and 15–1 in 2004. Both seasons ended with AFC Championship defeats against San Diego. Harris’s final NFL game was the 31–24 loss on January 23, 2005. He retired following the 2004 season.
Harris received eight Pro Bowl selections and was voted Most Underrated QB seven times in the Anonymous NFL Poll. He had no NFL MVP finalist appearances.
04 / Relationships
People in the record
Harris family
Jay’s younger brother Jason played for Detroit from 1991 through 2008 and Seattle from 2009 through 2014. Jordan Harris was Jay’s son, DeShaun Harris was Jason’s son, and Eli Harris was Jordan’s son.
05 / Legacy & Analysis
What the life and résumé mean
Harris finished with 254 regular-season starts, a 155–98–1 starting record and three AFC championships. Pittsburgh won fourteen of his twenty-five postseason games; his Super Bowl record was 0–3.