NOVEMBER 21, 2022 — UTSA graduate student and Roadrunners Football champion quarterback Frank Harris, has been playing football since the age of five. He grew up in Converse, Texas, where he spent much of his time playing sports, riding horses, fishing, and hunting with his family and friends.
As a young child, Harris had dreams of becoming a professional bull rider. Luckily for UTSA, he decided to focus his talents on sports, dedicating the majority of his school years to becoming an excellent football player. His achievements and drive led to a UTSA Athletics Scholarship, confirming his choice to attend the university.
“Of every school, I’m so glad I chose to attend UTSA. It’s amazing to be playing at one of the only Division I schools in the city. I love my experience here as an athlete and the incredible sense of camaraderie among our fan base in San Antonio,” Harris said.
The youngest of four siblings who have attended college, Harris was thrilled to receive a full-ride scholarship to UTSA for both undergraduate and graduate school. He is one of 85 students who received a UTSA athletics football scholarship supported by the Roadrunner Athletics Fund. The scholarship allows Harris to focus the time he needs on his academics while also practicing four days a week for several hours with his fellow Roadrunners.
As a testament to his hard work and dedication, Harris has received several prestigious accolades, including the Dave Campbell's 2021 Texas Football Offensive Player of the Year. He even made the semi-finalist lists for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award and the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award. With so much of his time taken up by practice and academics, Harris does not have the bandwidth to balance outside employment with his schooling.
“Especially during the football season, you aren’t going to have time for a job. I was incredibly fortunate to receive a scholarship where I receive a stipend to help me support myself and won’t be in debt when I graduate college,” Harris said. “My siblings always remind me how lucky I am that I won’t be in debt when I graduate.”
In 2021, Harris received his bachelor’s degree in sociology from the UTSA College for Health, Community and Policy. He will receive his master of public administration degree from The UTSA Graduate School in spring 2023.
As he pursues his dream of becoming a professional player in the NFL, Harris is keeping his post-football career options open. He noted that he intentionally chose to receive his education in fields with a broad range of career possibilities, and is looking forward to finding out what he can do with his university education in the workforce and how he can make a positive impact in the community.
“Opportunities like this don’t always come around and people on scholarships really put that to use. We know that we are blessed to be in the positions that we are in,” Harris said. “I know many people that wouldn’t be in college if it weren’t for the scholarships. I, myself, would not be able to dedicate enough time to football to be able to play. Receiving a scholarship provides an opportunity that will affect the rest of our lives. These degrees that I am receiving are going to be useful forever, even after I retire from football.”
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At this memorable celebration, UTSA graduates will be introduced one-by-one to cross the stage and accept their doctoral degrees.
Arts Building Recital Hall, Main CampusRoadrunner Walk is an event for graduating students to have a memorable walk on campus to celebrate an important milestone and their achievements. Graduates will walk along the Paseo while being celebrated by the UTSA community, friends, and family members.
Student Union Paseo, Main CampusJoin us for a tribute to Willie Velásquez, honoring the legacy of Willie Velásquez, a pivotal figure in shaping the history of Latino and Hispanic participation in the American voting process. Delve into his life and contributions as a champion of Latino voting rights. Moderated by UTSA's Teresa Niño, the event will feature influential voices, including Jane Velásquez, María Antonietta Berriozábal, Dora Oliva, and Anthony Gonzales.
Buena Vista Building, Buena Vista Theater, Downtown CampusCelebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.
Alamodome, 100 Montana St.Celebrate the accomplishments of Alvarez College of Business, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.
Alamodome, 100 Montana St.The University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
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We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
