Meet
Essex (Tappahannock, Va.) senior
Dondre Harris, the nation's tallest defensive lineman.
Harris
is a 7-foot, 380-pound defensive lineman for the small, public high
school located about 45 miles northwest of Richmond. He spent time on
the offensive line a year ago, and according to Essex head coach John
Fulks, is a starter at defensive tackle for Essex.
To put Brown's
uncanny size in perspective, the tallest player in the 2014 NFL Draft
was defensive tackle Daniel McCullers, now of the Pittsburgh Steelers,
who now checks in at 6-7, 360 pounds.
That gives Harris a good 5 inches and 20 pounds over Brown. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Harris has a basketball background.
According
to Fulks, Harris has yet to receive much attention from colleges
coaches. That could change with a strong senior season, since Harris'
size is the stuff that defensive coordinator pipe dreams are made of.
MaxPreps
professional photographer John Bowers was on hand at last Friday's game
against King William, catching Harris in action as he towered over
opponents and teammates alike. Check out some more media showing the big
guy standing out:
Essex 7-foot defensive lineman Dondre Harris is a massive young man, and offensive linemen find themselves in odd positions when trying to keep him out of the backfield.
Photos by John Bowers