For the second time in less than two years, Jay Harris has tossed aside a football scholarship to pursue his music dream.
Western Michigan head coach P.J. Fleck confirmed Tuesday that Harris is no longer a part of the Broncos football program. The wide receiver, originally a Michigan State signee, announced back in November that he would be restarting his football career at WMU. Harris had what was by all accounts a very good showing during spring practice, leading some to believe he could be an immediate contributor in 2014.
The lure of the rap game, however, proved to be too much.
“You give young people a shot and you believe in them and sometimes that happens,” Fleck said according to mlive.com.
On Twitter very early Tuesday morning, Harris indicated that he’s already gotten a jumpstart on his new/old career.
New music coming this week #JimmysWorld
— BIG SKIANI 🤬 (@JIMSKIANI_30) August 5, 2014
A three-star member of Michigan State’s 2013 recruiting class, Harris announced in mid-May of that year that he had decided to give up what he described as a “half-hearted” commitment to Spartans football and pursue a career in rap.
MSU, on the other hand, reportedly stripped Harris of his scholarship after a YouTube video — subsequently removed — of his rap venture came to their attention. Officially, Harris’ departure from East Lansing was labeled as “a mutual decision” by both sides.
In between his MSU and WMU stints, Harris spent time at both a junior college and prep school as his initial attempt at a rap career floundered and he refocused on football.
(Photo credit: Western Michigan athletics)