Arlen was born in Chester, Pennsylvania, and was considered one of the top 3 running backs coming out of
Downingtown High School where he won a PIAA State Championship and broke Tony Dorsett's rushing record. He was a Parade All-American. He also played in the Big 33 All-Star game vs the top players in Ohio and won
MVP. In college, Harris did not play his junior year, due to an injury to his knee, or his senior year because he transferred and lost that year's eligibility. So, Harris did not play football for two years until he made his return to football in the Paradise Bowl
all-star game in
Las Vegas and was named MVP. Harris was undrafted in the
2003 NFL draft, and signed with the NFL's
St. Louis Rams. He played three seasons with the Rams, starting three games and scoring three touchdowns versus the Steelers' #1 defense. He moved to the
Detroit Lions in 2006, also starting three games there. He ended his career with the Atlanta Falcons with a knee injury in the last
pre-season game against the
Baltimore Ravens. Harris and his wife, Heather, have three children, Caeli, Arlen Jr., and Ayden. In 2017, Harris was inducted into the Chester County Sports Hall of Fame. In 2018, Harris was inducted into the Downingtown High School Hall of Fame. ==References==