The Real Reason Mark Harmon Turned Down The NFL

Mark Harmon starred on "NCIS" for almost 20 years. As a result, Harmon's net worth is impressive; he's made a fortune as an actor. The "NCIS" star is worth $100 million, per Celebrity Net Worth, largely due to his work on the popular CBS franchise. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the CBS series is one of the longest-running primetime TV shows, and "NCIS" is one of the most-watched TV dramas in the world. 

Harmon has been called "the biggest TV star in the world," but leading a team comes naturally to the actor, just like he did on the football field. He told Daily Beast, "I just think that we is important on this show, not I. And because of that, a while back when this thing started to gather some momentum, one of the points I made to myself was to say, 'Enjoy this. Appreciate it and don't take any of it for granted.' Which we don't."

The beloved actor broke millions of hearts when Harmon left "NCIS" in October, but the door is open for Leroy Jethro Gibbs to return to the series, per The Wrap. Even so, fans will be surprised to learn he almost had an entirely different career. The former UCLA quarterback could have played football in the NFL! Here's why he turned them down.

Mark Harmon was the quarterback for UCLA for two seasons. He led the Bruins to a 17-5 record during his leadership. Harmon's accomplishments for UCLA got the young quarterback inducted into the National Football Foundation's list of National Scholar-Athletes. He decided to leave football behind, despite his college success, after getting bit by the acting bug. Harmon's sister Kristen married musician Rick Nelson, son of TV stars Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, who were two of the biggest stars in Hollywood at the time. His sister's famous father-in-law Ozzie opened the acting door for Harmon.

Harmon credits Ozzie with changing his life. In a 2019 Parade interview, the "NCIS" star said Ozzie gave him a stand-in part on his series "Ozzie's Girls." After being on the set with his famous in-law, Harmon was hooked, saying, "That changed my course." Leaving the sport was no small decision for Harmon; his dad Tom Harmon was famous in football. He won the 1940 Heisman Trophy and was the No. 1 pick in the 1941 NFL Draft! The elder Harmon walked away from football to become a fighter pilot in World War II, then became a sportscaster. But Harmon's mom Elyse was an actor in many films before he was born, per Biography.

Mark Harmon's career choice was the right move. In 1986, the "NCIS" star was named "Sexiest Man Alive" by People, and the next year, Harmon married actor Pam Dawber. The hunky actor was on his way to box-office fame after several hit movies in the '80s, such as "Summer School," "The Presidio," "Worth Winning." But Harmon's career took a surprising turn after he became a father. In a 2013 interview, Harmon explained why he shifted from movies to television.

Harmon told CBS News he decided to move into television after missing a key milestone while shooting a movie. He said, "Our oldest had just taken his first steps the day I left. And I came back three months later and he got out of the car by himself and walked up the sidewalk and grabbed onto my leg at the airport." The shock of seeing his son after being gone on a movie set motivated Harmon to seek work produced in Los Angeles.

After getting some acting work on the series "Chicago Hope" and "The West Wing," Harmon began working on "NCIS" as Leroy Jethro Gibbs. The rest is TV history!