James Harris
- Sport
- Football
- High School
- Booker T. Washington High School - Wichita Falls, TX (1966)
- Colleges
- Midwestern State University
- PVILCA Inductee Class
- 2016
Rev. James "JW" Harris, a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School, Class of 1966, in Wichita Falls, Texas. James Harris was the co-captain of the Booker T. Washington "Leopards" undefeated (12-0) Class 3AAA 1965 State Championship team, coached by the Hall of Fame coach, Irvin Garnett. Harris was an All-Around football player, playing both offense and defense. He played split-end on offense, and safety on defense. Harris also played on special teams as a punt returner and extra point kicker. There was no coming out of the game, that's the way it was for many players on the team.
While a great receiver on offense, he was better known for his defensive play, having 8 interceptions during that championship year. That earned him the honor of being selected along with one of the quarterbacks on the team, Irvin Norris, to play in the East/West All-star game in Houston, Texas. They both received the Golden Helmet Award as participants. Harris did not pursue football after high school due to a serious ankle injury sustained in the East/West All-Star game.
After that, Harris attended Midwestern State University for a while, he and his family moved to Fort Worth, Texas in 1969, where he later became a licensed ordained minister in 1986, and is an associate minister with the First Riverside Missionary Baptist Church of Fort Worth, Texas, where his ministry began.
Throughout the years Harris has been involved with community services and outreach. He received a diploma in 1996 with Dale Carnegie in Public Speaking & Human Relations. In 2011, he moved back to Wichita Falls and is the founder and CEO of Changing Images Today, a spiritual self-improvement and personal development training service, for the purpose of helping others to develop a positive self-image. Harris said "I will forever be indebted to all of the great coaches and all of the great players on that championship team. I will forever love the Booker T. "Leopards", and all of the fantastic teachers, students, and classmates that attended the historical Booker T. Washington High School of Wichita Falls, Texas.