The Blue Zoo

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/08/2009 (6215 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The day before a football team leaves for a road game is when things begin to slow down for a coaching staff. “The hay is in the barn,” is the expression. Bombers defensive line coach Richard Harris gave us close to an hour of his time last Thursday after the team’s last full workout prior to its weekend game with the Calgary Stampders. Here are some pearls from our chat with the defensive line mastermind.

“ö At 61, Harris has no grey hair on his head, just a wisp or two in his moustache:

“The grey hair is there. These guys are giving me more every day. I guess I have good genes. My mom and dad didn’t start greying until their upper 60s. No, I’m not using Just For Men. It’s all natural.”

“ö On leaving football after a seven-year NFL career:

“The game wasn’t fun to me anymore. I left it. It was four years before I would sit and watch a game. A buddy would call and say the Redskins are playing the Cowboys and ask me over. I’d just say, ‘no thanks.’ I developed a sour taste for the game. A sore spot. I completely dropped it.”

“ö On getting back in the game:

“I started coaching the Seattle police department football team for a game called the Bacon Bowl every year. The Seattle police played against a team from the Tacoma force. We played them every year for about 10 years and raised about $5 million. I was given an award for my service by the police chief of Seattle. At the time I was just the fifth civilian to ever be awarded a gold badge. I did a lot to help out in the community while I worked for Greyhound and the Seattle Times.”

“ö On suing the Seattle Seahawks when they reneged on a promised bonus:

“We had a little discussion going. Back then you needed six people to form a class-action suit and we (other players) got one going against the Seahawks. They bought the other five guys out but I wouldn’t quit. My lawyer, who was a former Supreme Court justice that had returned to private practice — we stuck through and went to mediation and won. By winning the case, the Hawks had to pay me and I wanted to make sure they paid me every cent I had coming, so I retired. The Raiders called, Al Davis himself, but I wanted the money from the Hawks, so I said no. But that was the year the Raiders beat the Eagles in the Super Bowl, and I would have loved to have played.”

“ö On what he wants from his players:

“When I played I was a tough guy. I studied the game and I knew my opponent. And then I went out there to beat the hell out of him. I tease my guys now. I call Gavin Walls and Fred Perry and Doug Brown ‘my bullies.’ They’re just carrying out my attitude. I’ll tell you what, when my guys line up out there I expect them to win the battle. You can’t let anybody know if they nick you. Smile at them, go back to the huddle and get your head together, and then go back in there and make them pay for it. I believe in playing clean, but playing to win. Be smart but be tough. If a guy gives you something, don’t get caught giving it back. Whatever they do, finish it. There will be a time for it. There always is.”