Winnipeg Blue Bombers #33 Andrew Harris during Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs. the Toronto Argonauts at IG field Friday July 12, 2019
It’s a mammoth number, 8,036 yards. And it’s only going to grow over the next few weeks, months and – if Andrew Harris has his say in the conversation – years.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back joined an elite crew in last week’s win over the Toronto Argonauts, becoming just the 12th player in Canadian Football League history to rush for over 8,000 yards in a career.
He is just eight yards shy of passing Tracy Ham and moving into 11th place, and 428 behind Dave Thelen and a spot on the Top 10 list of the CFL’s greatest rushers.
Consider, too, that every name ahead of Harris is a Canadian Football League Hall of Famer, also including Mike Pringle (16,425), George Reed (16,116), Damon Allen (11,920), Johnny Bright (10,909), Charles Roberts (10,285), Kelvin Anderson (9,340), Joffrey Reynolds (9,213), Normie Kwong (9,022) and Leo Lewis (8,861).
“It’s an honour to reach that milestone,” Harris told a media scrum after practice Tuesday. “You look at the names on that list and there’s a lot of good football players on that list. It’s definitely and honour, but for me, I’ve just got to keep on going here. There are bigger things to accomplish still.”
Now, there’s more to the 8,036 yards than just the distance travelled – that’s 4.565909 miles and 7.348118 kilometres, FYI.
That’s countless cuts and bruises, twisted ankles, aching shoulders, stepped-on hands, headaches and back aches. And it’s about the hours he spent ferrying back and forth from Nanaimo and the Vancouver Island Raiders to B.C. Lions practices as a junior player.
He was a longshot then and that trademark chip on his shoulder – “it never leaves,” he said Tuesday – still drives him to this day.
“I was just trying to do whatever I could to get on the field, whether it was offence, defence, special teams,” said Harris of his begninngs as a pro. “I mean, I was really everywhere. Fast-forward to 2011, winning the Grey Cup and taking that job over and being the guy… you never know how long it’s going to last for or how far it’s going to take you. The biggest thing has been being able to stay healthy and obviously having good guys around me and good teammates.
“Even before, during junior, to have good guidance and good mentors… there have definitely been a lot of people who have been good influences on my life. Good mentors, great coaching… it’s not a one-man thing. There’s definitely a lot of support, even now with my friends and family and my wife… there’s definitely a lot in the supporting cast that goes along with that.”
Harris is off to another superb start through the Bombers 4-0 start, with 378 yards on 58 carries for a sparkling 6.52-yard average. Those are gaudy numbers for a guy who turned 32 in late April, and yet continues to thumb his nose at Father Time.
“He just keeps getting better year after year,” said Bombers quarterback Matt Nichols. “Everyone wants to talk about how many years he’s been playing or how he’s getting older or whatever, I think he’s playing better and better the last few years I’ve been playing with him and this year’s no different.
“I can’t say enough good things about him and it’s rare that you know while you’re playing with someone that they’re going to be a hall of famer. It’s a fun thing for me to soak that in and I’ve talked at length that he’s a better person than he is a football player, too. It’s easy to be around a guy like Andrew.”
Asked if he’s got another 8,000 yards in him – that would put him in Pringle-Reed territory – he just grinned.
“I don’t think I’ll see the day,” he said. “I’m just going to keep playing as long as the game allows me to, but I definitely feel great right now and am enjoying the whole process. Once it gets tough to get up and wake up and do this that’s when you know it’s over. But right now I’m enjoying the ride, enjoying my teammates and being a part of this organization.
