Roland Harper

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

For the British Olympic hurdler, see Roland Harper (athlete). For the naturalist, see Roland McMillan Harper.

Roland Harper
No. 35
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1953-02-28) February 28, 1953 (age 72)
Seguin, Texas, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:208 lb (94 kg)
Career information
High school:Captain Shreve (Shreveport, Louisiana)
College:Louisiana Tech
NFL draft:1975: 17th round, 420th pick
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards:
3,044
Rushing TDs:15
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Roland Harper (born February 28, 1953) is an American former professional

fullback known in his playing days as a punishing blocker who opened holes in opposing defenses for star halfback Walter Payton. Harper ranks sixth on the Bears' all-time rushing list with 3,044 yards and 15 TDs on 757 carries in seven seasons.[1][2] Harper was inducted into the Louisiana Tech University Athletic Hall of Fame
in 1986.

Although he was selected in the final round of the 1975 draft, Harper wound up as the Bears starting fullback that season.

NFL that season.[1] He also caught 27 passes for 191 yards in 1975.[1]

In 1976, Harper started all 14 games and increased his rushing yards total to 625 on 147 carries, for a 4.3 yards per carry average. He also caught 29 passes for 291 yards. In 1977, Harper rushed for 457 yards on 120 carries, a 3.8 yards per carry average, and caught 19 passes for 142 yards.[1]

Harper's best season was 1978, when he rushed for 992 yards on 240 carries, for a 4.1 yards per carry average.

two players with at least 1,000 rushing yards (after the 1972 Miami Dolphins and the 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers).[6] He also caught a career-high 43 passes that season for 340 yards, and set another career high by scoring eight touchdowns (six rushing, two receiving).[1] His 1332 total yards from scrimmage ranked 10th in the NFL that season, and his 240 rushing attempts also ranked 10th in the NFL.[1]

Harper missed the entire 1979 season due to a knee injury.[7] However, he returned in 1980 and started 12 games. In 1980, he rushed for 404 yards on 113 carries for a 3.6 yards per carry average and caught just 7 passes for 31 yards, but his blocking helped Payton run for 1,460 yards.[1] Although Harper played in 15 games in 1981, he was supplanted as the starting fullback for most of the season by Matt Suhey.[8] He rushed for just 106 yards on 34 carries (a 3.1 average) and caught just two passes all year for ten yards.[1] Harper's final season was 1982, when he played in eight games, rushed for seven yards on three carries, and caught one pass for eight yards.[1]

After his playing career ended, Harper continued to live in the Chicago area.[3] Since 1990, he ran Rohar Trucking and Excavating, a company that does snow removal, trucking, transporting construction materials and erecting steel.[3] The company helped build the skyboxes at Soldier Field, the Bears' home field.[3]

In June 2008, Harper pleaded guilty to one count of

mail fraud.[2][9][10] The fraud allowed Monahan Landscape Co.. a white-owned firm, to receive a $1.5 million Chicago Public Schools landscaping contract that was supposed to be reserved for minority-owned firms.[2] The plea also revealed that Rohar was controlled by Monahan.[2] In June 2009 he was sentenced to two years probation, including one year house arrest.[11][12]

NFL career statistics

Legend
Bold Career high

Regular season

Year Team Games Rushing Receiving
GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD
1975 CHI 13 10 100 453 4.5 32 1 27 191 7.1 27 0
1976 CHI 14 14 147 625 4.3 28 2 29 291 10.0 39 1
1977 CHI 11 10 120 457 3.8 19 0 19 142 7.5 34 0
1978 CHI 16 16 240 992 4.1 31 6 43 340 7.9 33 2
1980 CHI 12 12 113 404 3.6 13 5 7 31 4.4 16 0
1981 CHI 15 2 34 106 3.1 11 1 2 10 5.0 8 0
1982 CHI 8 0 3 7 2.3 8 0 1 8 8.0 8 0
89 64 757 3,044 4.0 32 15 128 1,013 7.9 39 3

Playoffs

Year Team Games Rushing Receiving
GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD
1977 CHI 1 1 5 11 2.2 6 0 1 6 6.0 6 0
1 1 5 11 2.2 6 0 1 6 6.0 6 0

References

  1. ^
    Pro-Football-Reference.com
    . Retrieved December 28, 2008.
  2. ^ a b c d "Former Bears FB Harper pleads guilty in landscape scam". Associated Press. June 18, 2008. Retrieved December 29, 2008.
  3. ^ a b c d "Catching up with ... Roland Harper". January 19, 2005. Archived from the original on January 19, 2009. Retrieved December 29, 2008.
  4. Pro-Football-Reference.com
    . Retrieved December 29, 2008.
  5. Pro-Football-Reference.com
    . Retrieved December 29, 2008.
  6. Pro-Football-Reference.com
    . Retrieved December 28, 2008.
  7. ISBN 0-312-13186-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  8. Pro-Football-Reference.com
    . Retrieved December 29, 2008.
  9. ^ Mullins, L. (June 19, 2008). "Ex-Chicago Bears Fullback Admits Fraud". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved December 29, 2008.
  10. UPI
    . Retrieved December 29, 2008.
  11. ^ Hendricks, M. (June 10, 2009). "Roland Harper Trusted Too Much". NBC Chicago. Retrieved March 4, 2010.
  12. ^ "Ex-Bear Avoids Prison". WBBM 780. June 9, 2009. Retrieved March 4, 2010. [dead link‍]
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