LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – For Harry Douglas, moments in L&N Stadium won’t get much more memorable than the one he experienced on Saturday, when Louisville honored his No. 85 jersey just before halftime of a win over Georgia Tech.
Douglas, the No. 2 receiver in Louisville football history, went into U of L’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021. But it meant something to know his name would be among those that ring the stadium.
“You know, as a kid, when you're growing up, my dad took us to a lot of college football games, and I'm running around the stadium as a kid with a football and, you know, telling my dad, ‘One day I'm going to be out there,’” Douglas said. “And seeing jerseys around other stadiums, you say, ‘One day I'm going to have my jersey up in the stadium.’ So, when a dream has the ability to become a reality, that's when it really hits you hard. When I first got the call, I was emotional. I really was, because I felt like this was the last thing at this university to be able to get set in stone, was having your jersey around the stadium. And now we're here, and I talked to my kids and my wife and family members and my brother. . . . We talk about legacy all the time. And when I'm talking to my kids and talk about leaving a legacy, this is part of that story, too.”
It was a great day for Douglas, but before he accepted the honor, he talked listed his three best days as a Cardinal.
Louisville great Harry Douglas had his jersey honored during the Cardinals' game against Georgia Tech on Sept. 21, 2024.
And the thing to notice about these, and about Douglas, is that every one of these is a team accomplishment. None is an individual achievement, though he had many, including the biggest receiving day (233 yards) against Kentucky, no less, in 2007.
3). LOUISVILLE 31, MIAMI 7, Sept. 16, 2006
“September 16, that's my birthday, and me and my wife, who is back there, thank you, honey, for coming. So, September 16, we played Miami here, and we got to beat them. And that was huge, because I grew up -- my mom’s from Miami -- I always wanted to play against the University of Miami. So, being able to do that and sharing that special moment on my birthday, and then the fans storming the field, it was a surreal moment. Unbelievable.”
2). LOUISVILLE 44, WEST VIRGINIA 34, Nov. 2, 2006
Douglas: “November 2, Thursday night football blackout. No. 5 Louisville versus No. 3 West Virginia. You know, coming into that game and understanding the class of 2003 that was with me, Michael Bush, William Gay, and many, many other people, setting the tone and not wanting to just be a part, but make a difference in the organization and the program. And I think a lot of us that came into that 2003 class, we did that. When you’re able to beat a Top 5 team at home, and you have that significant blackout game, you go back home to your room, and you say to yourself, ‘This is why I came to the University of Louisville.’ It's all about leaving a legacy and setting a precedent for the time that you're there.”
1). ORANGE BOWL: LOUISVILLE 24, WAKE FOREST 13, Jan. 2, 2007
Douglas: “The Orange Bowl, first BCS game in Louisville history, being able to go down there in Miami have some fun, but also work hard and practice, but to come out of that game victorious. And it was just one of those moments, you know, holding those oranges in my hand up on that stage, that I knew I would never forget it.”
Louisville great Harry Douglas had his jersey honored during the Cardinals' game against Georgia Tech on Sept. 21, 2024.
After his time at Louisville, Douglas found success in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans, and now is an NFL analyst for ESPN and national host for ESPN Radio.
“But this place is always like family,” he said.
CRAWFORD: A LESSON I LEARNED FROM DOUGLAS
I learned an important journalism lesson from Douglas, one he may not even remember. In a column I wrote about Steve Kragthorpe, who took over as Louisville coach after Bobby Petrino left, I was trying to illustrate what I viewed as some growing frustration with him. I described a sideline scene in which Douglas had some words with Kraghtorpe and slammed his helmet down. I described him walking away. It must have left the impression that he wouldn’t go into the game.
You can’t imagine the hate mail I got over that column. I was shocked. People who were always supportive of me and my work called and said, “Man, you missed on that one.”
I went to my editor and asked what happened. I was just making a simple point. Harry Bryan, then The Courier-Journal sports editor, told me, “I get your point. But you tried to make it with one of the most popular players in the past decade at Louisville. Nobody saw your point. They just saw Harry Douglas.”
I never forgot that lesson. Think about how the reader will receive something.
I do know this, nobody’s forgetting Harry Douglas around here. And that name among the greats of Louisville history just confirms it.
Copyright 2024 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
