Some things are just meant to be. Even when you meet the partner you’re destined for at a young age, and even though careers may try to get in the way, the stars finally aligned for Nick and Heather Harris to be together in 2001.
They met as students at UC Berkeley in 1998; it was a sorority party in San Francisco. He was the punter for the Cal Bears Football team, earning a Liberal Arts degree, and she was a cheerleader majoring in finance. They danced the night away as they watched the fog roll into the bay. The timing wasn’t right for a long-term relationship, but two years later, after graduation, they bumped into each other again and began to cement their connection. But Heather was soon off to New York to train for her new job in investment banking. After her training, she moved back to San Francisco, working 100+ hours a week, while Nick stayed at Cal, working on a master’s degree in education and playing his final year of college football. He set the NCAA record for career punting yardage and earned Consensus All-American honors, but the timing still wasn’t right for them as a couple.
After his master’s degree, Nick was drafted into the NFL by the Denver Broncos, so their relationship still had to wait. Nick was later waived by the Broncos and signed with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he played for three seasons. That was 2001. “When 9/11 happened, the world changed,” says Nick. “The aftermath of the terror attacks saw a collapse of the financial sector, and Heather lost her banking job.” But losing her job expedited what was already a foregone conclusion, a marriage proposal and Heather being able to move to Cincinnati to be close to Nick. They married in 2003.
Nick went on to play for the Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Carolina Panthers, a career spanning 12 years. After football, he earned a second master’s degree in Christian Theology. They purchased a home in the Northgate neighborhood in 2005 to be close to Heather’s parents after his football career came to an end; he began teaching at Berean Christian High School in 2015. In 2019, he became the school’s principal.
During those years, from 2003 to 2009, Heather and Nick added four children to their family. Drew is the oldest and a sophomore studying Industrial Technology at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He loves his new “home,” taking advantage of hiking and biking in the coastal mountains.
Halle is 16 and attends Berean Christian High School. She loves lyrical dance and hanging out with her friends. Twins Brooke and Kate are 13. Brooke loves to bake, decorate, dance, and care for the family’s two dogs, Benny and Jett (named after Elton John’s song and adopted from ARF). Kate is a ballerina who performed the role of Clara in The Nutcracker this past holiday season. Both are home-schooled by Heather, which is now Heather’s full-time job. Heather also finds time to teach ballet a few nights per week while Nick helps coach the Berean Football team in his free time.
While living in the Detroit area, Nick developed a strong friendship with his pastor, who connected him with a mentor, Jeff VanBiesbrouck, a fellow professional athlete. While winding down from football, Jeff helped Nick transition from the world of sports to the business world. Jeff, a former professional hockey player, encouraged Nick to read Half- Time, a book by Bob Buford. Nick says, “The book was about how to re-purpose a successful initial career into a second career full of purpose and meaning.” This is what eventually led him to study Christian Theology and pursue meaningful work in Christian Education. “Our mission at Berean is so much more than academics,” adds Nick, “We are exceedingly good at academics with our college preparatory curriculum, but we’re also concerned with the kind of human beings we’re producing.” He loves his work leading these young adults.
The Harrises love the Northgate area “because it’s a place where you can get away from it all, even though the hustle and bustle is close by.” They love getting out to the open space and visiting San Luis Obispo to see Drew, spend time at the beach, and have dinner at their favorite sushi place in Morro Bay.
“Trips to Hawaii have been fun too,” adds Nick, “but our favorite family tradition is Sunday night dinners together.” After years of waiting to be together and living in many different states, their Sunday dinners in Northgate are right where they want to be.
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By Kara Navolio, Resident since 1991
Photos provided by The Harris family