Harris easing in to Bombers’ training camp

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This article was published 25/05/2019 (2326 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Andrew Harris is 32, which is ancient by the standards usually applied to CFL running backs.

However, over the past few seasons and with consecutive league rushing titles under his belt, the man central to Winnipeg’s 2019 title hopes appears to be defying the ravages of time. That doesn’t mean the Blue Bombers won’t take extra precautions to preserve his health.

On Saturday morning, the seventh day of training camp, Harris wore a helmet for the first time and was an occasional participant in drills after serving only in a spectator role early in camp. The reduced workload, Harris insisted, was nothing to worry about.

“No, they just want to ease me into training camp,” Harris said during his first media availability of training camp. “I had a busy off-season and they wanted to make sure I was coming in at full tilt and performing at a high level. (We’re) just being smart about my workload. Obviously, I want to be out there with the guys and battling, and it’s hard to watch. It’s where it’s come to now. I want to be flying around come Week 1…

“The last few years I’ve been well over 200 touches a season and it definitely takes a toll. But I feel great, and that’s the part that’s tough, because when you feel good you want to be out there. When you’re hurting, you feel like OK, I can take a lesser load.”

Not that he wasn’t tempted to join the fray.

“Even today, I had the pads on and I was told numerous times not to go into any team drills,” Harris said. “I’m a competitor, I want to go out there with the guys and want to be working and grinding with them but just staying mentally locked in and helping the young guys we have in, making sure they’re on point. That’s part of being a teammate and leader out here.”

Harris, starting his eighth professional season and his fourth as a member of his hometown Blue Bombers, isn’t avoiding questions about the possibility of a third consecutive rushing crown.

“It’s definitely in the back of my head,” said Harris, who has piled up 3,399 rushing yards since signing as a free agent with Winnipeg in 2016. “The biggest thing in my head right now is winning a Grey Cup and doing whatever I can do to help us get there. If that means rushing for over 1,000 yards and being the rushing leader, then so be it. The main goal is to be on Portage and Main with the Cup and that’s not going to change.”

To fulfil that ambition, the Bombers will need to successfully rebuild their offensive line, which lost a pair of veteran all-stars — centre Matthias Goossen (to retirement) and guard Sukh Chungh (to free agency) — in the off-season.

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Harris, a fixture at O-line meetings, believes the transition can be smooth.

“I wouldn’t say (it’s) a concern,” Harris said. “I thought we had guys that were waiting in the wings to step up and play and you know, (first-round draft choice) Drew (Desjarlais), at left guard, has been playing really well and I think Geoff Gray has stepped in nicely. The young guys have really shown (up). Cody Speller from the past year to where he’s at now.

“I think they’ve shown growth, and that’s what you want to see each year. You want to see them get better, have a better understanding. Again, it’s more about just understanding what the playbook is, so they’re playing fast and not really thinking too much.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14