Purdue loses Harris to academics

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., Aug. 14 (UPI) -- The football team at Purdue suffered a major setback Thursday when running back Joey Harris, a rising senior, was declared academically ineligible for the 2003 season.

Harris, who led the Boilermakers in rushing last fall with 1,115 yards, needed to earn a B average in three summer school classes to retain his eligibility to play football this season.

In 2002, Harris, a native of Tomball, Texas, was just the fifth player in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.

"It's a tragic loss for the team," said Coach Joe Tiller, "first and foremost, because we've got about 100 other guys that were counting on him. And he didn't measure up. (Harris was) the most talented position on our team from a depth standpoint is at tailback. "Obviously we've lost a talent there, but we feel very good about the (three) other guys."

The others to whom Tiller referred are sophomores Brandon Jones and Jerod Void, and redshirt freshman Jerome Brooks.