Photo Courtesy of University of Hawai’i Athletics
Although he considers himself a man of strong conviction and a dutiful Christian who aims to “give God the glory” both on and off the field, Moses Harris said that faith is not his only motivating factor.
He said that success is what drives him to work as hard as he does, and to accomplish all of his goals.
“I came to Fresno State to be a student-athlete,” Harris said. “It’s important to me to do both equally well. I have two duties – football and academics.”
Harris has been the starting strong safety for Fresno State for the past three years, totaling 187 tackles in his three years as a starter. While he has been a steady contributor on the field, Harris has other things on his mind besides football.
“I want to break the stigma that surrounds the stereotyped black athlete,” Harris said. “We’re often seen as promiscuous, or not smart, or only good at the game. I want people to look at me and say, ‘man, this dude excels in the classroom and he can ball.’”
Since the last feature on Harris was printed in September of 2008, he has received his bachelor’s degree in business administration with an option in finance, and graduated with Academic All-American honors.
In addition to his reception of Fresno State’s Bulldog Spirit Award and his selection to the Academic All-Western Athletic Conference, Harris has been nominated for the Lowe’s Senior Class Award and is a finalist for the Campbell Award.
The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) gives the Campbell award, which is an $18,000 scholarship, to the best and the brightest college football player, selected from a pool of 154 semifinalists nationwide. Harris is one of the 16 finalists now awaiting the final decision.
He said that he has a passion for business and for understanding the intricacies of how successful businesses operate. He also says that he feels a responsibility to take advantage of all the opportunities that have not always been available to African-American’s in this country.
“I really want to take care of my family, and I know that it is in my hands,” Harris said. “My goal is to eventually start a successful family business.”
Although Harris is currently working on his Master’s of Business Administration (MBA), he said that he has plans to try to play for the NFL.
“There is only a small gap, a window of time that I can play football,” Harris said. “School will be here, and I’m not worried that I won’t finish. I figure that I made it this far, so I might as well try.”
He also said that if everything goes as planned, he will be a quarter of the way done with his MBA after this semester.
Between practice, games, school and various other factors, not many student-athletes have the time to take time away from their sport. However, Harris found a way to experience something that he felt would be extremely beneficial and an opportunity of a lifetime.
In the summer of 2008, he traveled to Hong Kong to study business.
“It was the best experience because I learned so much about myself and about the world. It was my first time leaving the country,” Harris said. “It took me a little while to adjust, but I learned so much about China’s business practices, their culture and their value systems.”
Harris said what makes him who he is and what sets him apart is his focus.
“I strongly believe in goals, that’s why I write my goals down everywhere,” Harris said. “I believe that what you read is what you say, what you say is what you hear, and what you hear is what you do. That’s why you set goals.”