For the last several weeks, we’d been attempting to reach former Falcons scout Bob Harrison, but had been politely brushed off due to his failing health. We’d hoped to feature him in our Catching Up series on former scouts that we include in our weekly newsletter, the Friday Wrap. Then, on Saturday, we learned that he’d succumbed to his health struggles. We passed along the news later that morning. 

Since we never got to know Bob, we wanted to memorialize himself this week by reaching out to a few of his former colleagues in the scouting and coaching community. This is what they told us.

  • “He was a serious guy, hard worker and great evaluator. You knew where he stood on his players and there pro potential. Always had conviction for his evaluations, not a fence rider.” — former Falcons scout Mike Hagen

  • “As a gridiron coach and NFL scout, Bob took verse of John 15:16 and ran with it in our beloved profession. The verse is a working transformation to be active. Bob was like this: ‘A good gardener will do what it takes to help a vine bear fruit.’ May he rest in peace.“ — former Cardinals scout Jerry Hardaway

  • “He was always a personable guy, was well-read and on top of the game.”  — former NFL running back and assistant coach Johnny Roland

  • “Bob was a great guy and his experiences as a coach really carried over and made him an outstanding evaluator. He was a pleasure to work with and a hard worker that really enjoyed his profession. A true pro who had passion and a great respect for the game of football.” — former NFL executive Ron Hill 

  • “I worked with Bob for 10 years when I first got into scouting. I could always remember him saying, ‘believe what you see while looking at players and alway stay organized.’ Bob was a great guy and a super scout.” — former Falcons scout Bruce Plummer

  • “I worked with Bob Harrison with the Falcons for 12 years. Bob loved the game of football and was really fun to work with. We became really close and loved to rib each other and joke around. I really miss those days with Bob! — Rams executive Taylor Morton

You can read more about Bob in his obituary here and in this story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. If scouting and evaluation interest you, consider registering for our weekly newsletter, the Friday Wrap, here.

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