Last winter, Rick Harrison of Old Lyme was recruited to play for UConn’s Division 1 football team, making the roster as a kicker and punter.
Harrison, who graduated with the Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) Class of 2013 this past June, was a three-time All-Conference pick and named Hartford Courant Special Teams Player of the Year.
“For months, Rick was talking to other D1 and D2 teams,” said Barry Harrison, Rick Harrison’s proud father. “But he was wondering why he couldn’t get on UConn’s radar. When he was recruited by UConn last winter, all the other offers paled in comparison.”
According to Barry, Rick was “bouncing off the walls” when he received the good news. After watching a UConn practice in April, he was invited onto the team as a preferred walk-on, allowing him to go to the training camp that started on Aug. 1.
Harrison first began playing football his freshman year at LOLHS when the team needed a good kicker. Although he did not have experience kicking a football, he grew up playing baseball and soccer, and was a natural fit for the varsity team. By junior and senior year, he was getting noticed by collegiate recruiting and special team coaches.
Because Old Lyme doesn’t have its own football team, it is big news when talented players like Harrison get recruited to play at the college level. Last year, Old Lyme saw LOLHS Class of 2012’s Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn leave for Amherst College to play defensive back on their team, where he completed an outstanding freshman season.
While Barry is worried about his son’s transition from a small-town school to a big-league college, he is glad that Rick is going to a school that is known for its athletic and academic programs.
“I want to be sure that Rick is going to put his studies first,” said Barry on the subject. “Luckily, UConn is a tremendous school that takes good care of its students and its athletes.”
A successful student, Rick graduated from LOLHS with high honors. His father says that he plans to major in biology with an eye on pre-dental.
We wish Rick good luck on his new path and look forward to hearing more about him in the near future!
Editor’s Note: Click to view Rick’s profile on the UConnFootball web page.