FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots waived defensive back Antwan Harris from the 53-man roster today.
Harris, 27, was signed to the Patriots active roster on Jan. 12 but was inactive for postseason contests against the Indianapolis Colts (Jan. 16) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (Jan. 23). He was originally drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round (187th overall) of the 2000 NFL Draft and spent four seasons with New England from 2000-03. Over that span, he played in 52 regular-season games with two starts, recording 29 tackles (23 solo), one sack, one interception and 22 special teams tackles. The 5-foot-9-inch, 194-pound defensive back made an impact in the 2001 playoffs, being part of two big plays as the Patriots claimed their first world championship in Super Bowl XXXVI. In the 2001 AFC Championship Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field, Harris grabbed a lateral from Troy Brown and ran 49 yards for a touchdown following a blocked field goal. The University of Virginia product also played a role in the Patriots' 20-17 victory over the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, creating a turnover late in the first half that led to a New England touchdown. Harris used his helmet to dislodge the football from Rams receiver Ricky Proehl, forcing a fumble that was recovered by the Patriots. In 2003, Harris played in 13 games for New England with one start and was listed among the day-of-game inactives for each of the Patriots' three playoff contests. He became a free agent following the 2003 season.
