CHENEY, Wash. — Eastern Washington University defensive end
Brock Harrison will be the next Eagle to wear No. 4 jersey, as unveiled when the Eagles took the practice field for the first time on Thursday. The honor is given to the player who most embodies the characteristics of defense at Eastern: grit, toughness, effort, leadership and academic success.
Harrison, a redshirt senior from Ridgefield, Wash., has played 35 games over four seasons in Cheney, including 16 starts, racking up 79 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and an interception. He started 10 of 11 games last season, making 32 tackles and tying for second on the team with 5.5 tackles for loss (2 sacks). The veteran leader has three times been named to the Big Sky's All-Academic Team.
"Going into my fifth year (with the program), I've seen a lot of guys come through who have worn number 4 and they set the standard high," Harrison said. "I'm excited to wear it, to lead this team with that number and rise to the occasion."
Dating back more than a decade, the legacy of the honor at Eastern is rich with standout players on the defensive side of the ball. Senior Jason Belford wore No. 4 in 2008 and since then, the coaching staff has selected a leader on defense to wear the jersey.
Safety Anthany Smith earned the distinction last season and recorded 22 tackles (14 solo) in four games before getting injured in Week 5 at Weber State, missing the remainder of the season.
The honor represents both on- and off-field characteristics, and carries a rich tradition of athletic excellence. Below is the list of players who have worn that number since EWU became a member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in 1984 (Big Sky in 1987).
Player — Pos., Years
- Hunter, Darryl — DB, 1983-86
- Corr, Dominic — RB, 1986-89 %
- Wright, Harold — RB, 1990-93 %
- Givens, Roderick — DB, 1995
- Brightful, Lamont — WR, 1998-01 #%
- Williams, A.J. — DB, 2002-03 %
- Dotson, Anthony — DB, 2005-07 %
- Belford, Jason — DL, 2005-08 %
- Sherritt, J.C. — LB, 2007-10 #%
- Brown, Allen — DB, 2010-13 %
- Raynes, Todd — DB, 2012-15 %
- Zamora, Miquiyah — LB, 2013-16 %
- Havili, Albert — DL, 2013-17 %
- Fettig, Mitch — DB, 2015-18 %
- Ledbetter, Dylan — DL, 2016-19 %
- Criner, Calin — DB, 2017-21 %
- Smith, Anthany — DB, 2018-22 %
# All-America selection — Brightful was first team in 2001, second team in 2000 & second team in 1999 as return specialist, and honorable mention in 2001 as a wide receiver; Sherritt was the Buck Buchanan Award winner in 2010, and first team in 2009 and 2010 as a linebacker.
% All-Big Sky Conference selection — Corr was first team in 1989 & second team in 1989 as return specialist; Wright was Big Sky Newcomer of the Year in 1989, and first team in 1991 & second team in 1992 as a running back; Brightful was first team in 2001 as a wide receiver and return specialist, first team in 2000 as a return specialist, second team in 2000 as a wide receiver and first team in 1999 as a return specialist; Williams was honorable mention in 2003 and 2002 as a safety; Dotson was second team in 2007 as an outside linebacker; Belford was second team in 2008 and honorable mention in 2007 as a defensive end; Sherritt was the Big Sky Defensive MVP in 2010, first team in 2009 and 2010 as a linebacker & honorable mention in 2008 as a linebacker; Brown was second team in 2012 & honorable mention in 2013 as a safety; Raynes was third team in 2015 as a safety; Zamora was first team in 2016 & honorable mention in 2014 as a linebacker; Havili was second team in 2017 as a defensive end; Fettig was third team in 2018 & 2017 & honorable mention in 2016 as a safety; Ledbetter was honorable mention in 2018 and 2019 as a defensive tackle; Criner was honorable mention in 2021 as a safety; Smith was first team in 2020-21 as a safety.
The Eagles open their regular season schedule at North Dakota State (at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis) on Sept. 2. Their first home game is Sept. 16 vs. Southeastern Louisiana.
Tickets for the 2023 EWU Football season are now available! Visit goeags.com/tickets or call the EWU Athletics Ticket Office at 509-359-6059 to secure yours today.
ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, both as learning opportunities for its most athletically talented students and as an enhancement to student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an association of 10 regional schools with comparable enrollments and academic goals.
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