UR defensive back creates music on and off the field

University of Richmond freshman and Defensive Back for UR’s football team, Nile Harris, was recently featured on CBS6 for his skills on the football field and in the orchestra pit.

Nile Harris is a redshirt freshman defensive back on the Spiders team, and was all-conference in both football and track in high school in Greensboro, North Carolina. Richmond was one of five schools that offered him a scholarship. In addition to his football duties, he also plays with the university orchestra.

"First he says 'I'm a football player,'" Alexander Kordzaia, the Conductor and Director of the University of Richmond Symphony Orchestra, said. "And I saw, that's a sports guy. And then he sits down and plays the cello and I said I have to have this kid in the orchestra. And it's been just amazing." 

It might be difficult to find a correlation between classical music and a nickel defense. But Harris has developed skills that help him whether he's tackling Albany or Vivaldi. "As an orchestra ensemble, you really have to trust your stand partner," Harris explained.  "You have to trust who's in front of you as well as who's behind you. I think that aspect translates to the field a lot." 

Harris lists Tchaikovsky as his favorite composer, but does not really have a favorite NFL player. And yet, if he had to choose a career between the two, he'd take football over music. His major at Richmond, however, is in Healthcare Studies and he would like to go into the medical field once his football playing days are over. 

To learn more about Harris and read the complete CBS6 article, click here.