Eagles defensive end Brock Harrison, being directed by coach Matt Ulrich, seen here at an Aug. 7 practice, is the next in line to wear the coveted No. 4 jersey.
It's a relatively small number in the football world, but at Eastern Washington University, the No. 4 carries a ton of weight and distinction.
Now in 2023, Eagles defensive end Brock Harrison will be the next to wear No. 4 jersey. The honor is given to the player who most embodies the characteristics of defense at Eastern: grit, toughness, effort, leadership and academic success.
"Going into my fifth year (with the program), I've seen a lot of guys come through who have worn number 4 and they set the standard high," Harrison said. "I'm excited to wear it, to lead this team with that number and rise to the occasion."
Harrison is a redshirt senior from Ridgefield, Wash. who has played 35 games over four seasons in Cheney. He's had 16 starts, racking up 79 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and an interception.
He started 10 of 11 games lin 2022, making 32 tackles and tying for second on the team with 5.5 tackles for loss (2 sacks). The veteran leader has three times been named to the Big Sky's All-Academic Team and was announced late last month as one of five team captains this season.
Dating back to the infancy of EWU's Division-I days when Darryl Hunter was first bestowed the No. 4 from the 1983-86 season, the legacy of the honor at Eastern is rich with standout players on the defensive side of the ball.
Senior Jason Belford wore No. 4 in 2008 and since then, the coaching staff has selected a leader on defense to wear the jersey.
The next player to wear the jersey was J.C. Sherritt, the Eagles' undersized All-American linebacker. who would go on to win the Buck Buchanan Award as the top defender in FCS football, all while helping lead EWU to the 2010 national championship.
Safety Anthany Smith earned the distinction last season and recorded 22 tackles in four games before getting injured in Week 5 at Weber State, missing the remainder of the season.
The honor represents both on-and off-field characteristics and carries a rich tradition of athletic excellence. Below is the list of players who have worn that number since EWU became a member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in 1984 (Big Sky in 1987).
Previous No. 4's
Player - Pos., Years
• Hunter, Darryl - DB, 1983-86
• Corr, Dominic - RB, 1986-89 %
• Wright, Harold - RB, 1990-93 %
• Givens, Roderick - DB, 1995
• Brightful, Lamont - WR, 1998-01 #%
• Williams, A.J. - DB, 2002-03 %
• Dotson, Anthony - DB, 2005-07 %
• Belford, Jason - DL, 2005-08 %
• Sherritt, J.C. - LB, 2007-10 #%
• Brown, Allen - DB, 2010-13 %
• Raynes, Todd - DB, 2012-15 %
• Zamora, Miquiyah - LB, 2013-16 %
• Havili, Albert - DL, 2013-17 %
• Fettig, Mitch - DB, 2015-18 %
• Ledbetter, Dylan - DL, 2016-19 %
• Criner, Calin - DB, 2017-21 %
• Smith, Anthany - DB, 2018-22 %
# All-America selection
% All-Big Sky Conference selection
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