OT Desmond Harrison charged with strangulation, released by Cardinals
Jul 17, 2019, 7:50 AM | Updated: 8:20 am
(Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
A felony arrest warrant has been issued by North Carolina police for now-former Arizona Cardinals offensive tackle and recent waiver-wire pickup Desmond Harrison on assault allegations.
Harrison, who was released by the Cardinals on Wednesday following the news, is being charged with assault on a person by strangulation and assault on a female by a male, as first reported by Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski.
A Greensboro Police Department spokesman confirmed the details of Sobleski’s report to 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station on Wednesday. The incident report was filed on Tuesday and there were no additional details as of Wednesday morning, according to police. Arizona responded swiftly by releasing Harrison and signing supplementary draft additional Jalen Thompson to a four-year contract.
The Cardinals claimed Harrison on June 6, a day after he was waived by the Cleveland Browns.
Harrison, who is entering his second year, was let go after he missed a flight and the first day of Cleveland’s mandatory mini-camp Tuesday, Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens told reporters. A source told Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot it was “one too many missteps” for Harrison, an undrafted player who started eight games as a rookie left tackle last season.
Harrison won the starting left tackle job and started in every game before head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley were fired by the Browns in 2018. He was replaced at tackle by Greg Robinson and never won back the starting role.
The 6-foot-6, 305-pound tackle entered the NFL Draft Combine two summers ago after he put up the second-fastest 40-yard dash time for a lineman at 4.90 seconds
Harrison went undrafted out of West Georgia in 2017 and began his career at Contra Costa Community College. He earned First Team All-American honors there before he joined Texas for his junior season. Harrison was ruled academically ineligible initially but was eventually cleared.
He was suspended multiple times at Texas before leaving the program and spent two years away from football prior to joining West Georgia.