Andrew Harris (33) of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers during the official TSN session for CFL at the Axworthy Health & RecPlex Centre in Winnipeg MB, Thursday, March 22, 2017 (Photo: Johany Jutras)
No one would have held it against Andrew Harris if he had opted to take his foot off the gas, even just a tad, and coasted for a spell this offseason.
After all, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back is coming off a spectacular 2017 season in which he was not only named a Canadian Football League All-Star, but the loop’s Most Outstanding Canadian in a year in which he won the rushing title and established the new record for receptions by a running back.
That’s a long paragraph of accomplishments. And heck yeah, that would certainly have given him the green light to put his feet up and relax, even for a moment.
But if you know the man at all you know that’s not how he is wired. And so, when he’s working out, when he’s trying to crank out one last rep and the end of a long and gruelling work out, this is what he’s thinking about…
“There are a bunch of things,” began Harris during a chat with bluebombers.com at CFL Week. “It’s ‘Oh, you’re too old.’ Or ‘You’re worn down.’ Or ‘Winnipeg hasn’t won a Grey Cup in 28 years.’ Or ‘Hazel (his daughter) wants an iPad for Christmas.’ There are a bunch of different things that motivate me. There’s an inner hunger, but I always feel that there are doubters and naysayers. That’s the one that pushes me the most. And from a team standpoint, I want to win a Grey Cup with these guys.”
“I call these guys my brothers. I want to win a Grey Cup with my brothers and do it in my hometown.”
Winnipeg Blue Bombers RB Andrew Harris celebrates his TD during second quarter CFL action between the Bombers and the Toronto Argonauts in Winnipeg on Thursday, July 13, 2017. (CFL PHOTO – Jason Halstead)
“I still feel after the accomplishments that I’m an underdog. It’s weird to say it, but I still don’t feel like I have the respect I deserve. That might sound crazy to say, but I thrive on that even if it’s not true. I tell myself that because I don’t ever want to feel comfortable or complacent with anything I’ve done. I always feel like I’ve got more to accomplish. Even if we win a Grey Cup next year I’ll want to win another one because when’s the last time we won back to back? You find ways to continue to be successful and motivate yourself.”
All of this might sound familiar. Harris has long spoken about the massive chip on his shoulder as a Canadian running back who came up through the junior ranks, first as a special teamer with the B.C. Lions, before morphing into the star he is today.
He insists he is as driven as ever and with a better understanding of how to take care of his body, feels his best years are still ahead of him – even if it means sacrificing some of the gaudy numbers he put up a year ago when he came close to becoming the first player in CFL history to finish with 1,000 yards rushing and receiving.
“I’m still as hungry as I’ve ever been and I’m excited as I’ve ever been to start the season,” said Harris.
“A lot of people ask me, ‘Are you still going to go for the thousand-thousand?’ I don’t even think it’s necessary because we did such a good job of signing guys.”
“Now, for me I just want to keep honing that and make plays whenever I get the opportunity. I think the pressure is going to be off a little bit on guys like myself and (Weston) Dressler and Darvin (Adams) in every game because we added two or three big weapons to our arsenal. Hopefully it will all flow really nicely together.”
“If Dressler was healthy and Darvin was healthy and Timothy (Flanders) was healthy last year, I don’t think I would have gotten 105 (receptions). But those guys go down and there’s a shift into getting guys the ball. It’s a tough thing to go out and say you’re going to do that again or get 1,000 yards rushing and receiving as a running back. But in certain circumstances you are called to do something like that. I just don’t think it will be necessary to do that because we have so many other weapons now. That’s a good problem to have.
“It’ll be one of those things that when you get the ball there won’t be two guys shadowing you any more. You’ve got a guy like Adarius who can stretch the field, a guy like Demski who can break tackles and someone like Kienan who can come in and spell you and not change the ratio. All these factors are positive for the team and even for my longevity. Some people might think I’m not going to be happy with that. I want to win a Grey Cup here and I want to be healthy and the rest of the guys on offence to be healthy.”
So, how has winning the Most Outstanding Canadian Player award changed Andrew Harris’ life?
The answer is simple: it really hasn’t.
“I don’t think it really has changed anything at all for me,” he said. “I mean, some people might say, ‘There’s the Most Outstanding Canadian’, but that’s the only thing that has changed.
“It’s an accomplishment. I mean, it’s a trophy that I broke as soon as I got it… and I still haven’t gotten it fixed.”
Wait… what?
“I had it with me the night I won it and some guy knocked it over and it just shattered,” said Harris. “They said they were going to get me another one, I just haven’t gotten it yet. That’s OK. It’s all good.”
