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Memorial held for Bombers coach

Richard Harris always had a soft spot for the defensive line, but the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will remember him as someone with the character to influence the entire locker-room.

WINNIPEG — Richard Harris always had a soft spot for the defensive line, but the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will remember him as someone with the character to influence the entire locker-room.

Friends and family members were joined by members of the Blue Bombers organization and representatives from other CFL teams Sunday at a memorial service for the Winnipeg assistant coach, who died suddenly of a heart attack on July 26. He was 63.

“The first thing I noticed in Ottawa and it carried over to Winnipeg, was that Richard had the ability to touch everybody in the locker-room, whether he coached that position or not,” said Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Greg Marshall, who worked with Harris for four CFL seasons. “He had the ability as a coach to make the average player good, and a good player great, and a great player (dominant).”

Harris joined the Bombers in 2006 as their defensive line coach and added assistant coach duties prior to the start of this season.

Winnipeg’s defence has played a major role in the club’s resurgence this year. The Bombers (5-1) are in first place in the East Division standings after posting a league-worst 4-14 record in 2010.The club’s defence has allowed just 113 total points this year, fewest in the league. And the defensive line has terrorized rival quarterbacks, posting a league-high 21 sacks.

“Richard’s character had touched and made its way across our locker-room in the six years he had been here,” said Blue Bombers president Jim Bell. “In his honour I ask that you please continue to grow in that spirit and that character that he would want. He would be honoured to know that it was important to you to carry that on.”

Harris arrived in Winnipeg after one season with the Ottawa Renegades as their defensive line coach. He had the same role for four years before that with the B.C. Lions.

In 2000, Harris was head coach of the Portland Prowlers of the Indoor Professional Football League. And he won three semi-pro championships as head coach in the Northwest Football League, with the Eastside Express in 1989 and the Pudget Sound Jets in 1994 and 1995.

Harris, a defensive lineman, spent eight seasons in the NFL after being picked fifth overall in the 1971 draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He was all-rookie that year.

He played three seasons with the Eagles before joining the Chicago Bears for two years. Harris finished his career by playing three seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.

Harris played at Grambling State University under legendary head coach Eddie Robinson.

Harris is survived by wife Tami and children Kimberly, Chianti, Jennifer and Michael.

“We’ll all miss his smile ... we’ll all miss his voice, whether it was the loud booming variety or the soft-spoken one,” Marshall said. “And I know we’ll all miss his hugs. Nobody hugged like Richard.”