Bruce Harper
| No. 42 | |
| Born: | June 20, 1955 Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Running back, Kick returner, Punt returner |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) |
| Weight | 174 lb (79 kg) |
| College | Kutztown |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1977–1984 | New York Jets |
Bruce Harper (born June 20, 1955) is an American former professional football player who was a running back and kick returner for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kutztown Golden Bears and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Jets in 1977. Harper is the all-time kick returner in New York Jets history with 5,407 yards in kickoff returns. He also served as the Jets punt returner from 1977 to 1982, totalling 1,784 PR yards and 1 touchdown. His total yards are 11,429: 1,829 rushing yards, 2,409 receiving yards, 1,784 PR yards and 5,407 KR yards.
Harper played high school football at Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood.[1] He moved on to play at Kutztown State College, where he became the school's first 1,000 yard rusher.
Harper's 42 jersey is the jersey worn by diehard Jets fan Fireman Ed.[2]
Harper was a longtime resident of Norwood, New Jersey,[1] but now lives in Closter, New Jersey.[3]
Harper is founder and director of the non-for-profit organization Heroes & Cool Kids, established in 1998.[4] Based in school systems throughout New Jersey, the mentoring program reaches out to elementary and middle-school kids by high school athletes and students of the same district. The high school students are trained through the Heroes and Cool Kids' curriculum and by former professional athletes, such as former NFL player, Keith Elias, former Los Angeles Lakers player, John Celestand, and former New Jersey Nets player, Tim Bassett.[3]
References
- ^ a b Rondinaro, Gene. "Picturesque, Affluent West of Palisades", The New York Times, November 3, 1996. Accessed July 26, 2011. "A SHORT distance west of the Palisades and bordering the Boy Scouts' Camp Alpine is the picturesque and affluent Bergen County Borough of Norwood, just 10 miles northwest of the George Washington Bridge.... A FORMER football standout at Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood, Mr. Harper was interested in finding a small, diverse community to live and raise a family in away from the media hype of New York's sports world.... Like Mr. Harper, other sports figures such as Don Mattingly, Gene Michael, Craig Nettles, Jim (Catfish) Hunter and Kenny Anderson have at one time or another called the borough home."
- ^ Anderson, Dave. "Sports of The Times; Empty Seats, No Noise, But Look Who's Talking", The New York Times, November 24, 2003. Accessed July 26, 2011. "You got that right, especially with the way the Giants and the Jets have played this season, but the Jets were even worse than usual this game. And their fans were so quiet. Fireman Ed in the white fireman's helmet and the Bruce Harper 42 jersey didn't even yell 'J-E-T-S -- Jets, Jets, Jets!' until the fourth quarter was about the start."
- ^ a b Spelling, Ian. "Hero Worship: Former Jets star Bruce Harper inspires sportsmanship and good character" Archived January 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, (201) magazine, August 1, 2009. Accessed July 26, 2011. "Likewise, Harper is a Bergen lifer. He was born in Englewood, lived for a time in Fort Lee, bought a house in Englewood, moved to Norwood, and currently resides in Closter with his wife, Nancy."
- ^ Gehman, Jim (February 28, 2019). "Where Are They Now: Bruce Harper". New York Jets. Retrieved March 29, 2020.