Harrison Talks About Getting His Start At Penn

Damon Harrison attended William Penn Homecoming 2018 and shared with Oskaloosa News some of his thoughts about the school and Oskaloosa.

Damon Harrison attended William Penn Homecoming 2018 and shared with Oskaloosa News some of his thoughts about the school and Oskaloosa.

Oskaloosa, Iowa – William Penn Homecoming is a time when the past and present share memories.

One of those alumni back to share in the experience is New York Giants Defensive Tackle Damon Harrison.

Harrison is a 2012 graduate of William Penn University, and was an undrafted pick that the New York Jets signed.

Harrison didn’t start his career as a football player, only playing the game his senior year in high school, but considered himself a basketball player.

Since most recruiting takes place during the junior year, Harrison was overlooked during his senior year.

A former coach at William Penn was familiar with Harrison and offered him a chance to play football at William Penn, and Harrison started all 44 games he was a part of.

Harrison, now an All-Pro NFL player who had played on Thursday, found it important to come back to Penn to show his support, not only for the players on the field but the players that came before him.

When it comes to his rags to riches story, Harrison says “I didn’t do it alone.”

Several individuals from Oskaloosa and William Penn took Harrison under their wing so to speak when he arrived at William Penn. “From the very first time I stepped on campus, to my last days here, I’m very grateful to the Hafner family. They’ve been amazing to me. That’s just one of many families that helped me.”

“As long as the Hafners are here, I’ll always have a connection to William Penn, and William Penn is home. Oskaloosa is still home,” added Harrison.

Harrison found success, even coming from an NAIA Division II school that William Penn was then. “I think one thing this level has that the other level doesn’t have is that everybody’s out there playing with their heart. Everybody’s playing with passion. A lot of guys know that after this, it’s it for them, and they still go out there and give it their all. I remember these guys more so then my time in the NFL.”

Harrison is now considered one of the 100 best NFL players today, and he’s continued to develop his skill as time goes on. Harrison says that the hard work has paid off due to some excellent coaching along the way.

Harrison isn’t a stranger to Oskaloosa, but on homecoming day, you take a walk down memory lane. Changes in the Penn Activity Center to visiting the Lacey Stadium that he played in. “Even just driving around the city seeing some of the places I use to hang out. Taco Johns, Wal-Mart, some of my favorite places to go to.”

Harrison has children in the Oskaloosa School system and continues to remain familiar with the community, but during the summer, they spend time with Harrison at his home in New Jersey and Texas.

For students and student-athletes considering William Penn, Harrison says that the education they receive “is second to none. They have great teachers there. Athletics come second to everything when it comes to education. Overall, you’ll meet some great people. Build some great memories. It’s not always about the large schools or the large campuses and all. You can get more out of being at a school like this, and a campus like this, than you could anywhere else.”

“And I can honestly say I wouldn’t be where I am today had I not come to William Penn,” said Harrison in closing.

Posted by on Oct 14 2018. Filed under Local News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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