Dennis Harrah was born to be a Los Angeles Ram. He was raised in Charleston, West Virginia, and as a senior at the University of Miami, he was unanimously named an All-American guard.
And on September 18, at the Rams’ game against the Falcons at SoFi Stadium, he was recognized as the group’s “Legend of the Game.”
“It just means so much to me that the Los Angeles Rams are back home,” Harrah stated. “I traveled to St. Louis and experienced what it was like to see Jackie Slater and Jack Youngblood inducted into the Hall of Fame. That was an experience I would never want to have again. The Los Angeles Rams being at home, where they belong, is what I would like to experience.
It means a great deal to me that I could go there and show my boys where their dad used to play, even if it was only for a brief while. And that I was allowed to participate in this history by the Rams.”
Harrah joined the Rams in 1975 after being selected 11th overall in the first round of the NFL Draft.
“I was sitting in my living room with one lady that was a reporter,” Harrah recalled. “I got a call from a gentleman from the Rams saying they were going to draft me in the first round, so we’re just lounging by the phone.
“Learning that I was traveling from Miami to Los Angeles thrilled me much. Nothing could have been a better situation, in my opinion. It was not truly my desire to travel north. Naturally, I would have gone anywhere, but to be honest, I was a little child and had no idea what to expect.”
Before he ever heard head coach Chuck Knox’s whistle reverberate through Fullerton State’s Training Camp, he would learn that the NFL is a business. Harrah had to make up for being nearly thirty days late for work because they couldn’t come to an agreement on a contract. Luckily, he had a few veterans who were eager to assist him.
Harrah laughed, “Yeah, they took me under their wing, alright.” “Basically, they kind of brought me into the mix between (defensive end) Jack Youngblood, Joe Scibelli, and (guard) Tom Mack. So I hold them responsible for everything.”
Harrah started the following season and remained there after backing up Scibelli and playing on special teams as a rookie. During his fourth season, 1978, he was selected to participate in the Pro Bowl.
He assisted the Rams in winning the NFC title the next year, putting them in the Super Bowl XIV against Pittsburgh.
“Playing against ‘Mean’ Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, and that group was an incredible experience; the Steelers, especially being a West Virginian team, were just everything.” Regarding the 31-19 defeat in the Rose Bowl, Harrah remarked, “I’d followed the Steelers since I was a kid.” “However, that experience of facing off against individuals who would go on to become future Hall of Famers was just…
‘Aw, that’s no big issue,’ I said to myself when I was 25, 26 years old, which was the hardest part of it. Hey, I’ll be back; it’s the Super Bowl. Nonetheless, as you go older, it teaches you to value each day, each game, and each opportunity. since you might not have another opportunity. And I never did.
Harrah was chosen to participate in five more Pro Bowls, for a total of six, despite not returning to another Super Bowl. Interestingly, he captained the Rams for the same number of seasons.
“I’d say it was about the same feeling, that the coaches and players believed in me enough to be the captain,” Harrah stated.”At the time, the players in the league cast votes for us to go to the Pro Bowl.I thought that was kind of the same deal. I was fortunate to be bestowed with both distinctions.I felt completely blessed.
Having been fortunate enough to play for the Rams for 13 seasons (1975–87), Harrah’s favorite recollections are of the friendship he had with his teammates.
What aspect of his outstanding career most pleases him?
“Well, there are a few of those that are really likable.We went on strike (in 1987), and it was a difficult period “explained Harrah.”I realized that year was my last. I was aware that I was finished.I had a horrible back. My disc was herniated.However, I’ve just made the decision not to cross the picket line. My goal was to become the captain I wished someone else would be.
“We wanted to secure a more favorable retirement, but at that time, they naturally obtained free agency.The remainder is history.Pay changed from salaries toIt simply vanished.Money is ridiculous at the moment.That year, my final year, wasn’t easy.In terms of the strike myself, I essentially got very little out of it when I retired.It was only assisting the cause we were defending.”
Leading both on and off the field, his current role is largely the same as he resides in Paso Robles, California, with his wife Teresa. Tanner and Blake are his two sons, while Maxine and Audrey are his grandchildren.
“I work for Central Coast Home Health and Hospice on occasion.Basically, I visit nursing facilities and speak with the residents about maintaining physical health and having a positive outlook on life.I try to make them laugh and smile by telling them stories about Dennis Harrah,” said Harrah.
“Being able to visit various assisted living facilities and simply chat with them about some of the challenges I’ve faced has been a terrific experience for me.Even though I’m aware of their difficulties, I make an effort to smile every day. No matter what kind of physical or emotional challenges we are facing, I make it a daily goal to be optimistic. It’s simply been incredibly fulfilling.”
