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Harmon Leon Wages (born May 18, 1946) is an American former college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons during the 1960s and 1970s. He played college football for the University of Florida and, thereafter, played professionally for the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL.

Early years

Wages was born in Jacksonville, Florida in 1946. He attended Robert E. Lee High School in Jacksonville, where he was a standout quarterback for the Lee Generals high school football team. In two years as the Generals' starting quarterback, Wages led his team to 8–2 and 7–3 records. After rushing for nearly 900 yards as a senior, he was named to the all-city and all-state teams.

College career

Wages accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he was a quarterback for coach Ray Graves' Florida Gators football team from 1965 to 1967. He was a backup behind Steve Spurrier in 1965 and 1966, and was the periodic starter as a senior in 1967. Wages graduated from University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1969.

Professional career

Wages was an undrafted free agent in 1968 when the Atlanta Falcons signed him, and he played for the Falcons from 1968 to 1971 and again in 1973. He was the Falcons' second-string halfback and third-string quarterback. With an injury to the Falcons' starting halfback, Wages began to see playing time. In a single game against the New Orleans Saints played on December 7, 1969, he ran for a 66-yard touchdown, caught an 88-yard reception for a second touchdown, and threw a 16-yard pass for a third touchdown, and the Falcons defeated the Saints 45–17. The three-touchdown day by a single player—one rushing, one receiving and one passing—is one of only seven such "hat trick" performances in the history of the NFL.

Wages finished his five-year NFL career with 332 carries for 1,321 yards and five touchdowns, eighty-five receptions for 765 yards and five touchdowns, and three pass completions in four attempts for fifty yards and a single touchdown.

Life after football

Wages became a sportscaster for WAGA-TV, then a CBS affiliate (now a Fox-owned station) in Atlanta, Georgia, and then WXIA-TV, Atlanta's NBC affiliate. Wages was convicted in Federal court in Atlanta for misdemeanor possession of cocaine in 1985, and spent three months in prison. He returned to sports broadcasting at WTLV-TV, the NBC affiliate in Jacksonville, Florida, and current CBS affiliate WGNX-TV (now WANF) in Atlanta.

Wages currently serves as an advisory member of the board of directors of the Police Athletic League of Jacksonville.

Wages' 2022 autobiography, Harmon Wages:The Butcher's Boy, was written by Harmon Wages and Stan Awtrey, edited by Martha Kavanaugh Hunt. A portion of net proceeds goes to The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

See also

• Florida Gators football, 1960–69
• History of the Atlanta Falcons
• List of Florida Gators in the NFL draft
• List of University of Florida alumni

References

1. databaseFootball.com, Players, Harmon Wages Archived February 14, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
2. ^ "Top 100 Athletes of the Century: Harmon Wages," The Florida Times-Union (November 28, 2000). Retrieved October 3, 2010.
3. 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 150, 164, 186 (2011). Retrieved August 31, 2011.
4. National Football League, Historical Players, Harmon Wages. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
5. Deborah Brancheau, "Tomlinson Has Raiders' Number Archived 2010-02-16 at the Wayback Machine," SanDiego.com (October 16, 2005). Retrieved October 16, 2005.
6. Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Harmon Wages. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
7. Lewis Grizzard, "Harmon Wages Just Wants His Job back," Orlando Sentinel (May 18, 1986). Retrieved June 23, 2011.
8. Mike Bianchi, "Wages finds charmed life can turn sour," The Florida Times-Union (May 27, 1997). Retrieved July 7, 2011.
9. Police Athletic League of Jacksonville, PAL Staff and Board of Directors Archived November 30, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 27, 2011.

Bibliography

• Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0-7948-2298-3.
• Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). ISBN 0-9650782-1-3.
• Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). ISBN 1-58261-514-4.
• McCarthy, Kevin M., Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). ISBN 978-0-7385-0559-6.
• McEwen, Tom, The Gators: A Story of Florida Football, The Strode Publishers, Huntsville, Alabama (1974). ISBN 0-87397-025-X.
• Nash, Noel, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). ISBN 1-57167-196-X.

• 1946 births
• Living people
• American football running backs
• Atlanta Falcons announcers
• Atlanta Falcons players
• Florida Gators football players
• National Football League announcers
• Riverside High School (Florida) alumni
• Players of American football from Jacksonville, Florida