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December 3, 2024
Najee Harris hurdles over Notre Dame defender in Rose Bowl after Megan Rapinoe tells him to

Najee Harris hurdles over Notre Dame defender in Rose Bowl after Megan Rapinoe tells him to

Mission emphatically accomplished.

In Friday’s College Football Playoff Rose Bowl semifinal between No. 1 Alabama and No. 4 Notre Dame at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Harris did just that, leaping over a Fighting Irish defender during a 53-yard gain in the first quarter.

The reason for Rapinoe’s request? Harris had said in a Rose Bowl press conference Tuesday that he looks up to the US Soccer star.

Harris has been known to celebrate after scoring a touchdown with his arms outstretched, like Rapinoe’s goal celebrations at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.

Megan Rapinoe celebrates scoring a goal in the 2019 Women's World Cup on June 28, 2019.

Here’s what Harris had to say about Rapinoe when he was speaking with reporters this week:

“Megan go crazy,” Harris said. “She’s from California, first of all, and she listens to Nipsey. Nipsey Hussle, one of my favorite rappers, too. She gave a shoutout to him.

“Really all the stuff she stands up for. She’s a feminist and how the females, how women in the world gets treated unfairly and how they get paid different and different stuff than men.

Alabama advances to College Football Playoff national championship game

“She stands up for all that. I like how she does that. And obviously the social injustice that happens, she plays a part in all that. And for her to be a woman and saying all that stuff, and it could be scary for her, for being a woman in what they will say is a man’s world, and her just playing a part, standing up, not listening to all the naysayers out there and really just standing up for what she believes in, it’s motivating. And it’s inspirational.

“Me as a male, I guess you could say, like maybe not too many males will like say they look up to a woman nowadays. But I really look up to her, just for what she does outside of sports. And I guess I had to give her a shoutout and stuff.”

Rapinoe responded to Harris’ comments on Twitter, saying to “hurdle someone for me!”
Alabama went on to defeat Notre Dame 31-14, advancing to the national championship game.
Alabama running back Najee Harris often imitates Rapinoe's goal celebration after scoring a touchdown.