Jerry Harper

Jerry "Moose" Harper (August 4, 1934 – September 16, 2001) was an American basketball player best known for his collegiate career at the University of Alabama between 1952 and 1956. Harper, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, was and played the center and forward positions.

Decades later, Harper's 1,688 career rebounds still stands as the SEC all-time record and 8th overall in NCAA history.

Harper was the #20 (3rd round) overall pick of the New York Knicks in the 1956 NBA Draft.

Playing career

In 1952–53, his freshman season, he was voted a second team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) by the Associated Press (AP). He averaged 17.8 points and 17.0 rebounds per game in 21 games played.

Harper became the first Crimson Tide player to lead his team in scoring all four years en route to finishing with 1,861 for his career, Harper was the first player in school history to average 20 or more points per game for a career, and in one game against Kentucky during his senior season, he scored 38 points and grabbed 26 rebounds.

After college, Harper was selected in the 1956 NBA draft by the New York Knickerbockers with the #20 overall pick (3rd round). But he never ended up playing in the league. Instead, he played for the Houston Ada Oilers and the Phillips 66ers of the AAU National Industrial Basketball League (AAU), which was still a semi-professional league at the time.

Personal

Harper worked for Phillips Petroleum until he relocated to Montgomery, Alabama, where he went into business for the remainder of his career. He died of a longstanding illness on September 16, 2001, at age 67.