The Giants signed safety Johnnie Harris, who played for the Oakland Raiders
from 1999-2001. To make room on their roster, the Giants waived rookie safety
Ryan Clark.
"We had him in for a workout and I looked at tape on him," Fassel said. "The
guy's been in the league, and I thought he was a real good athlete. I liked
what I had heard about him athletically and as a person. I'm concerned (about
the safety position) right now. I think everything is fine, but if we get an
injury here or there, we could be in trouble."
Harris will play safety and get a chance to contribute on special teams.
Harris, 6-0, 210, played in 35 games for the Raiders, including seven starts,
all at safety. Last year, he played all 16 regular-season games and started
five at free safety. He also started Oakland's AFC Wild Card victory over the
Jets. Harris finished the season with 38 tackles. He also added 10 tackles on
special teams.
In 2000, Harris played in 15 games, with two starts. He had 33 tackles, a
forced fumble and four pass break-ups. He also had an interception in the AFC
Championship Game against Baltimore. Harris joined the Raiders as a free
agent in 1999. He was on the team's practice squad for the first 12 games
before he was signed to the active roster.
Prior to joining the NFL, Harris had an eclectic career. In 1998, he was the
Arena Football League's Defensive Player of the Year after setting a record
with 33 passes defended for the Tampa Bay Storm. He played five games for the
Storm in 1997 before re-joining the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian
Football League. He had 61 tackles and five interceptions in 18 games and was
named to the CFL All-Star team.
Harris played college football at Mississippi State, where he started all 12
games as a senior in 1994. He was born Aug. 21, 1972.