University of Montana Mourns the Loss of Andrew Harris
Tuesday night, Police Public Information Officer Travis Welsh says Missoula Police responded to the report of an unattended death and it appears to be a suicide. An investigation is ongoing.
The University of Montana released this statement:
The University of Montana Department of Athletics and the Grizzly football program are mourning the loss of redshirt-senior student-athlete Andrew Harris of Kalispell, Montana.
"All of us in Grizzly Athletics were saddened to hear of Andrew's passing," said director of athletics Kent Haslam. "On behalf of our department and the more than 300 student-athletes here at UM, we send our deepest condolences and heartfelt thoughts to the Harris family, and all those who knew and loved Andrew."
Harris, a first-team all-state player on the 2014 state champion Glacier High School team, began his career at Montana in 2015 as a redshirt freshman and was getting set to enter his senior season as a Grizzly.
During his four years at UM, he played in 11 games at both linebacker and defensive end, registering one tackle and a half-sack.
Playing football at UM was a family tradition for Harris. His father Greg Harris was a standout for the Grizzlies from 1971-1975 before playing in the NFL for the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers. Harris' older brother Josh also played for the Grizzlies from 2008-2012 as a defensive end.
"Any time we lose a member of the Grizzly brotherhood, it's a sad day," said head coach Bobby Hauck. "The Grizzly family will continue to mourn the passing of Andrew Harris, but right now our primary concern is for his immediate family, their well-being and their privacy. Our prayers are with them."
Grizzly Athletics will observe a moment of silence for Andrew ahead of Thursday night's men's basketball game against Idaho State. Memorial services will be planned an announced at a later date.
Counseling services and other resources are available to all University of Montana students, student-athletes, faculty and staff seeking counseling during this difficult time.