Siena University Athletics

Aside from averaging 14 points per-game in three seasons from 1949-52 at Siena, Harrell's worth was in also in rebounding, steals and general all-around savviness. He averaged 12.1 boards in his career, and grabbed 387 as a sophomore during the 1949-50 season. Furthermore, he always guarded the opponent's top scorer. Harrell captained the Indians in his senior year and the team compiled a 24-7 record. As a sophomore, he tallied 311 points for a record. He was an integral part of the 1950 Siena squad that posted a 28-5 record, won the NCIT, ranked second nationally in defense and became Siena’s first ever team to play in Madison Square Garden. Harrell averaged 14.6 points for the 1951-52 Siena team which went 24-6, and helped the team go 70-19 (.787) during his time on the team. Harrell received national recognition following the season, being named a United Press Honorable Mention All-American as a senior. He was selected in the 6^th round (55^th pick) of the 1952 NBA Draft by the Indianapolis Olympians and was offered professional contracts from the Minneapolis Lakers and the Harlem Globetrotters, but opted to pursue a professional career in a different sport instead.

Away from the court, Harrell was also a star on two of Siena’s first baseball teams. Waving his eligibility for a senior season on the diamond, Harrell played for the Birmingham Black Barons in the Negro League and was signed as a free agent by the MLB's Cleveland Indians in 1952. He became the first Saint in any sport to make a professional-level debut, doing so for the Indians in 1955. The MVP of the Eastern League in 1956, he floated in and out of “The Show” until 1966, playing in 173 MLB games for the Indians and Boston Red Sox between 1955 and 1961. He briefly served as a scout for the Red Sox following his retirement. Harrell was named one of the top-10 athletes in the Capital Region for the 20^th century by the Albany Times Union in 2000 and became the first Saint to have his jersey retired when his number 10 was unfurled from the rafters on January 13, 2006. He was inducted into the Upstate New York Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010, and was part of the inaugural New York State Baseball Hall of Fame class in 2011. On March 8, 2014, Harrell was inducted into the MAAC Basketball Hall of Fame Honor Roll. He died at the age of 85 on May 6, 2014.