Deonte Harty

BIOGRAPHY

Deonte Harris was born December 4, 1997, in Baltimore, Maryland. He is a wide receiver in the National Football League.

Harris played college football at Assumption. He was regarded as one of the most dynamic kickoff and punt returners in the NFL draft, following a record-breaking career at Assumption. The two-time AFCA All-American finished his career as the most prolific returner in NCAA history. In the final game of his college career he set the NCAA All-Division record for combined return touchdowns, returning a kickoff 100 yards for his 14th career return touchdown. He also owns the NCAA Division II record for career combined return touchdowns, as well as the single-season record of eight return touchdowns which he set in 2017. In 2017, Harris also tied the NCAA DII single-game kickoff return touchdown record of two and tied the single-season punt return touchdown record of five. For his career, Harris totaled over 3,000 return yards while averaging 32.6 yards per kickoff return with six touchdowns and then 20.4 yards per punt return with eight touchdowns.

As a wide receiver, Harris finished his Assumption career with 226 receptions for 2,897 yards and 28 touchdowns. His 45 total touchdowns at Assumption are a school record, as are his 6,173 all-purpose yards. Harris concluded his career averaging 137.2 all-purpose yards per game and owns the single-game all-purpose yards record of 362, which he set in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament against Findlay in the team's 45-26 victory.

As a senior in 2018, Harris appeared in ten games and caught 41 for 751 yards (18.3 avg.) and eight touchdowns, returned 11 kickoffs for 324 yard (29.5 avg.) and one TD and brought back ten punts for 190 yards (19.0 avg.) and one TD as he earned second-team All-American from the American Football Coaches Association. As a junior in 2017, Harris played in 13 games, catching 61 passes for 810 yards and eight touchdowns, bringing back 15 kickoffs for 642 yards (42.8 avg.) and three TDs and returning 18 punts for 473 yards (26.3 avg.) with five TDs, as he was named a first-team All-American by the AFCA.

Harris signed with the Saints in 2019.

He scored his first professional receiving touchdown in Week 7 of 2020 against the Carolina Panthers. On December 19, 2020, Harty was placed on injured reserve. He was activated on January 9, 2021.