Playing for the Aggies has become a family tradition, as Chris comes from a long line of Texas A&M football players. His uncle, Dave Elmendorf, was a three-way All-American at A&M, earning honors in football, baseball and academics, and went on to an all-pro career in the National Football League with the Los Angeles Rams. Dave presently serves as the color commentator for A&M football games.

In addition to his uncle Dave (Class of '71), Harrington's two other uncles, Harry (Class of '70) and Patrick (Class of '71) Elmendorf attended Texas A&M and the first Aggie from his family was Chris' grandfather, Ed Elmendorf (Class of '38), who was on the football roster in the late 30s.

A model of consistency and production, Harrington also showed tremendous toughness during his junior year. That season, he played throughout with a painful right shoulder rotator cuff tear, but still started all 13 games. He would go on to start 36 of 49 games he played in for the university, recording 156 tackles with 15 sacks and 25 stops behind the line of scrimmage.

Harrington was an All-District and Class 5A All-State selection at St. Pius X High School, leading the team to the district and regional championship as a senior. That year, he recorded 50 solo tackles and chalked up seven sacks. He was nominated for ESPN's Army All-American Game and was named the 2002 Private School Player of the Year by Dave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine.

As a junior, Harrington earned first-team All-District and All-State honors as well as being named to Prep Star's All-Region squad. He recorded 76 solo stops and recorded 13 sacks. He added All-District first-team and All-State honorable mention as a sophomore and was a part of the 1999 State Championship squad. He was named to the school's honor roll all four years and listed in the Who's Who Among American High School Students. He was also a member of the student council.

Harrington red-shirted in 2003 at Texas A&M. In 2004, he was the team's first reserve off the bench at defensive end. He posted 14 tackles (8 solos) in 12 games, adding a pair of sacks and three stops for losses, missing the Cotton Bowl with a hip flexor strain. As a sophomore, Harrington started the first four games at left defensive end before moving to right end for the rest of the schedule. He delivered 25 tackles (15 solos) with seven stops behind the line of scrimmage, including four sacks.

Battling shoulder problems all year did not stop Harrington from earning first-team All-Big 12 Conference honors in 2006. He manned the right defensive end position for all 13 games, as he totaled 59 tackles (30 solos), including seven sacks and 10 stops for losses. He also broke up three passes and caused two fumbles. After the season, he underwent left rotator cuff surgery.

Harrington played in 13 games, starting the final 12 at left end in 2007. The All-Big 12 Conference second-team choice delivered 58 tackles (22 solos) with a pair of sacks and five stops for losses. He also caused and recovered two fumbles and blocked a kick while generating four pressures.

Positives: Has good muscle thickness and overall development, with a firm midsection and tapered thighs and calves … His frame could carry at least another 15 pounds of bulk with no loss in quickness … One of his best assets is his consistency, as he plays with a high motor and good instincts, demonstrating the hand usage to shed blocks and avoid offensive linemen to generate pocket pressure … Because of his balance and range, some teams might look to trim his bulk down and convert him to strong-side linebacker … Plays with good balance to sift his way through traffic … Possesses outstanding vision to locate the ball in a crowd … Understands the game and has no problems with digesting a complicated playbook … High-motor kid who will chase the ballcarrier until the whistle, and excels at chasing down ballcarriers on the outside to generate good containment and turn that run back inside … Explodes upfield and is able to penetrate gaps to disrupt the backfield … Has a good work ethic and proved in 2006 he will play with toughness and pain … Shows natural strength at the point of attack, using his hands efficiently to play off blocks to make the tackle in run force … Has good flexibility in his anchor and shows quickness getting an edge on the outside shoulder of the blocker … Does a nice job of quickly locating the ball and playing down the line of scrimmage … Sees blocking schemes well and can twist and turn to split double teams … Won't shock a blocker with suddenness, but has the upper body strength and hand placement to shed blocks, bounce off them and make the play … Knows how to use his arm reach to get separation from the offensive linemen … Has very good balance moving laterally down the line and when moving through traffic … Demonstrates good effort and build-up speed to chase down plays at the opposite perimeter … Has a good closing burst making plays from behind … Physical hit-and-wrap-up type of tackler who consistently gets into position to make the play … Has the size and strength to get ballcarriers down once he gets his hands on them … His hard punch is evident by the way he rocks blockers back on their heels and his hand placement lets him quickly jab and shock his opponent on initial contact … Is also very capable of using those hands to gain separation, as he is able to control and turn his man … Lacks an array of pass rush moves, but gets the job down with his power burst, using a strong punch to collapse the pocket … Has good change of direction agility and hip sink coming off the edge and can accelerate with good urgency to close on the pocket.

Negatives: Wins most one-on-one battles with good instincts, playing strength and a high motor, but doesn't possess top athletic ability … Has only adequate initial quickness, and pursuit speed is only slightly better … Doesn't possess great suddenness, agility or change-of-direction, but is slippery enough to get under the lineman … Lacks a great first step and short-area closing speed, but shows good urgency chasing the quarterback … Builds to speed rather than exploding off the edge, but if he fails to sink his hips, blockers have a good chance of getting a piece of him … Late in games, he tends to start leaning into blockers and narrows his base, letting the lineman wash him out of the play … Has good hands, but needs to get them up more in attempts to deflect passes at the line of scrimmage … Can be drawn offside by an erratic snap cadence … Can split double teams with his quick first step off the snap, but doesn't have the lower body strength to stack and control … Must develop better pass rush moves, as he struggles to play off blocks once a blocker gets into his body.

Compares To: CHRIS KELSAY-Buffalo … Harrington is a highly instinctive player who gets most of his penetration off sheer desire, rather than technique. He has the lateral range to contain perimeter runs and shows good ability to fight block pressure and hold ground at the point of attack. He is not an explosive edge rusher, but he shows very good build-up quickness to generate enough pocket pressure to disrupt the play.

2004: Did not play vs. Tennessee in the Cotton Bowl after suffering a hip flexor strain in a late December scrimmage before the game.

2006: Played with a right shoulder rotator cuff slap tear that required surgery to repair after the season.

Campus: 4.78 in the 40-yard dash … 450-pound bench press … 363-pound power clean … 34 ½-inch vertical jump … 33-inch arm length … 9 ¾-inch hands … Right-handed … 27/38 Wonderlic score.

Combine: 4.85 in the 40-yard dash … 1.66 10-yard dash … 2.78 20-yard dash … 9'9" broad jump … Bench pressed 225 pounds 21 times.

Attended St. Pius X (Houston, Texas) High School, playing football for head coach Robin Kirk … All-District and Class 5A All-State selection, leading the team to the district and regional championship as a senior … That year, he recorded 50 solo tackles and chalked up seven sacks … Nominated for ESPN's Army All-American Game and was named the 2002 Private School Player of the Year by Dave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine … As a junior, Harrington earned first-team All-District and All-State honors as well as being named to Prep Star's All-Region squad … Recorded 76 solo stops and recorded 13 sacks that campaign … Added All-District first-team and All-State honorable mention as a sophomore and was a part of the 1999 State Championship squad … Named to the school's honor roll all four years and listed in the Who's Who Among American High School Students … .Also a member of the student council.

Industrial Distribution major … Uncle, Dave Elmendorf, was a three-way All-American at A&M, earning honors in football, baseball and academics, and went on to an all-pro career in the National Football League with the Los Angeles Rams. Dave presently serves as the color commentator for A&M football games … In addition to his uncle Dave (Class of '71), Harrington's two other uncles, Harry (Class of '70) and Patrick (Class of '71) Elmendorf attended Texas A&M and the first Aggie from his family was Chris' grandfather, Ed Elmendorf (Class of '38), who was on the football roster in the late 30s … Son of Cynthia and John Harrington … Born Christopher Edward Harrington on 1/19/85 in Houston, Texas.