Football

Senior cornerback Matthew Harris will retire from football, the program announced Monday.

Harris started just two games for the Wildcats this season. He departed with an injury during Northwestern’s loss to Illinois State in September and has not played since.

“This is an incredibly difficult decision to reach, but it is the right one for me and for my future,” Harris said in a news release. “I’m so thankful for (coach Pat) Fitzgerald, (defensive backs coach Jerry Brown) and the rest of the staff that brought me to Northwestern and have mentored me over the last several years.”

Harris, who has a history of concussions, was named a third-team All-Big Ten cornerback in 2015 as part of a secondary that allowed the fewest passing touchdowns in the country. In 37 career games, Harris recorded 161 tackles, six interceptions and three forced fumbles. Before the start of the 2016 season, Harris was selected by his teammates as a team captain.

“I’m just very thankful for what Matthew brought to our program,” Fitzgerald said at Monday’s press conference. “The team gave him a standing ovation when he announced it to the team, which I think shows you the impact Matthew has not only had on our team but will continue to have.”

Without Harris, NU is left with sophomore Montre Hartage and redshirt freshman Trae Williams as their starting cornerbacks. Hartage has 38 tackles and two interceptions this season, while Williams, who did not play in Saturday’s win over Indiana with an injury, has 20 tackles and one interception. Redshirt freshman Alonzo Mayo and junior Marcus McShepard will also likely see time at cornerback.

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