Tailback Harris proving he belongs

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This article was published 24/11/2011 (5384 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VANCOUVER — Sitting at Canad Inns Stadium watching his beloved hometown Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Andrew Harris wasn’t sure if he could do it.

“I never knew if I was good enough, you know?” the Winnipeg-born tailback said after the B.C. Lions went through their first Grey Cup week workout at BC Place Wednesday. Harris, who starred for the Oak Park Raiders in high school before taking his talents out west to pursue a junior career, is a budding talent in the CFL.

Since making his first start in an Aug. 13 game against Winnipeg, the 24-year-old has played a major role in the offence, giving the Lions a run game they didn’t have through the first third of the season. His 458 yards and one touchdown on the ground won’t strike fear into opponents, but when you factor in his 30 catches for 395 yards and seven majors, his value comes into light.

He’s a playmaker on a team full of playmakers.

“If I was a GM, I’d lock him into a long-term, sign him to a 15-year contract,” veteran centre Angus Reid said. “The kid is a superstar with only the best still yet to come.”

Everyone knows Harris now, true, with some believing his arrival has made a bigger impact in the Lions offence than the addition of Arland Bruce. Ten years ago, though, Harris wasn’t so sure this day would come. He recalls those days at Canad Inns Stadium, watching Charles Roberts bob and weave past defenders and wondering if he could do that, too.

Stegall

His friends always watched Milt Stegall. He was stuck on No. 1.

“Charles lived a couple blocks away from me when I was growing up in Winnipeg,” he said. “He actually was a Big Brother to one of the guys on the team, so he came to our practices and games.

“(Roberts) was a little bit smaller than I was, but he was definitely somebody I looked up to, in the way of catching the ball out of the backfield.”

Harris beams when asked about playing in his first Grey Cup on Sunday: “It’s incredible, really. It almost doesn’t seem real yet. I’m sure it will as the week goes on.”

Lions coach Wally Buono wanted Harris to switch to receiver, believing the path to the pro game would come easier away from the line of scrimmage.

Harris said his Vancouver Island junior team head coach Matt Blokker insisted he stay the course.

Harris joins Calgary’s Jon Cornish and Edmonton’s Jerome Messam as the new wave of Canadian running backs.

“There’s a few of us now. Hopefully it’s a trend.”

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca