Black Sports Hall of Fame: Even as a star, Harrison always had other interests

Russell Harrison's teammates at Omaha Tech High School in the 1960s used to call him “Heavy Horse.''

“When I ran the ball, I was hard to tackle,'' Harrison said. “Guys usually got a face full of legs or thighs.''

Four decades later, Harrison has a new nickname.

“They call me ‘Heavy Doc' now,'' he said.

One of 11 people who will be inducted Saturday into the Nebraska Black Sports Hall of Fame, Harrison lives in Los Angeles where he runs his company, Russell Herbal, and does a radio show.

The 60-year-old Harrison grew up wanting to be a pro football player. Now, he rarely watches sports.

“I'm so involved with my work that it seems like I'm always researching,'' Harrison said. “All I want to be now is the best, dignified man that I can be.''

Harrison's career has allowed him to work with Hollywood stars such as Dustin Hoffman and Kevin Bacon. He counts musician Stevie Wonder among his clients. Former pro football star Bubba Smith takes advantage of Harrison's services.

He has developed and markets a line of vitamin supplements and herbal products designed to cleanse the body of toxins. He said his products, combined with a nutritional diet, allow his clients to lead a healthier lifestyle.

“I don't claim to cure anything,'' Harrison said. “But I've had people who, after seeing some of the top specialists around, have followed my detoxification routine and have become some of my biggest supporters.''

Harrison's business grew after an athletic career that blossomed as a teenager in Omaha ended in the early 1970s. Born in Harlem, Harrison's family moved to Omaha when he was in eighth grade. He played his first organized football game as a ninth-grader, ripping off an 80-yard touchdown run on his first carry.

“Wearing size 13 shoes with socks stuffed in the toe,'' Harrison said, laughing. “I wore a size 9 back then but had to borrow the shoes. Was a poor kid, you know.''

Harrison went on to star in football and track at Tech. As a senior in 1967, he averaged more than 9 yards per carry, gained 1,025 yards and earned All-Nebraska honors as a hard-running fullback. In track, he was Class A runner-up in both hurdles races at the state meet and was on the 880 relay unit that tied for an all-class gold medal.

His athletic and academic achievements earned him a scholarship to Kansas State, where he studied pre-veterinary medicine. He played three seasons for the Wildcats and was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL.

After two seasons with the Rams and one in the Canadian Football League, Harrison was forced to retire after injuring both knees.

“One of the problems when you lose half-a-step after surgery,'' Harrison said, “you get hit a whole lot more.''

Harrison said he always had been interested in nutrition while growing up.

“After I blew out my left knee, I started searching for things other than drugs to help ease the pain,'' he said. “That led me into my studies of alternative medicine and herbs. I went to five different herb schools. I studied acupuncture and went to chiropractic school.

“Even when I was playing in high school, I was never totally caught up in sports. I had a lot of different interests.''

Athletics did provide an opportunity for Harrison to enhance his self-confidence. He recalled a practice where Tech coach Dick Christie had him run the same play “about 40 times in a row.''

“My legs were dead after that, and Coach Christie called me aside,'' Harrison said. “He wanted to make sure I knew he didn't do that to punish me but he did it because he saw the talent in me. He told me I had the chance to become one of the best backs in the state.

“Where I came from, we didn't always get that kind of encouragement. I hadn't really taken it serious until then. Even after I did well in college and the pro scouts started coming around, I had a hard time accepting all of that. I remember thinking, ‘Darn, is this for real?' ''

Harrison, married with five children, said he's thankful for the coaches and teachers who had a positive influence on his life.

“For a guy that started from scratch, I ended up doing quite well,'' he said. “I have to point that back to the teachers and coaches that I had. They taught me that no matter what I did to do it the best I could.

“And to be humble about it. There's no need to shout or brag about your accomplishments.''

On Saturday, Harrison and the other inductees — Ernie Britt III, Tom Carodine Sr., Harley Cooper, George Crenshaw, Fred Farthing, Rich Glover, Mallery Ivy, Jon McWilliams and Roy and Mel Washington — will hear others praise them for their accomplishments. Also, former Boys Club Executive Director Tom Davis and Carl Wright, a longtime youth coach who died earlier this month, will be honored with Image Awards.

Harrison said he hopes to be remembered as much for his attitude as his athletic achievements.

“Even in high school, I tried to be a positive guy,'' he said. “I don't have time to be down. It's like when I was playing ball and something bad would happen. You picked yourself up and went on to the next play.

“I've tried to live my life in a sincere, honest way. I'm a stand-up guy. I don't pull punches. If I can help you, I'll help you. People who know me know that.''

Contact the writer:

679-2298, steve.pivovar@owh.com