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Insight and Analysis July 21, 2018

O’Leary: Is Andrew Harris in MOP conversation?

The Canadian Press

Senior Writer
@olearychris

Six games into his 25th season in the CFL, Mike O’Shea gave the question a lot of thought.

His starting tailback, Andrew Harris, just had a career day against the Toronto Argonauts, taking 27 handoffs for 161 yards and a touchdown. If that wasn’t enough, the 31-year-old caught a pair of passes for 16 yards and another touchdown, part of his third 100-plus-yard rushing game in a row.

An all-time great Argo and Canadian Football Hall of Famer, O’Shea won three Grey Cups in Toronto as part of a 16-year CFL career. He can list Doug Flutie, Damon Allen, Michael ‘Pinball’ Clemons and Bobby Jurasin — all also hall of famers — as teammates. In a career like that, there isn’t room or a need for hypotheticals, but when it comes to someone like Harris, the what ifs start to creep into his mind.

Asked where Harris fell in with that elite mix of talent he’s encountered in his career, O’Shea did more than include him.

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Andrew Harris carries the ball in Saturday afternoon’s contest against the Toronto Argonauts (The Canadian Press)

“Oh wow, ranking them that’s really tough but man, I would have loved to have played with him,” O’Shea said of Harris. “I would have loved to have played with him, I really would have, absolutely.

“I think I would have been fired up on the sidelines all the time (when) he got the ball. I think I would have been begging the offensive coaches to just give it to Andrew and I think I would have been cheering every time he scored or ran someone over. He’s just, he can do it all.”

Harris’ act isn’t new to CFL fans. It’s just the evolution of one of the greatest and most unique shows that anyone in the league is capable of putting on. After running over, around and through the Argos defence on Saturday night, the CFL’s reigning Most Outstanding Canadian is sitting at 583 rushing yards, putting him on pace for 1,749.

Coming into this season, Harris has averaged 968 yards per game on the ground and 622 in the air. What he does is far from a secret, but he’s out to a fast start on his best season yet. Those closest to him are noticing.

“I don’t think there’s many running backs in the world like him,” Bombers QB Matt Nichols said of Harris.

“He understands the game better than any back I think I’ve ever played with,” slotback Weston Dressler said.

“He’s the best Canadian player in this league, for sure,” adds left guard Patrick Neufeld.

Take Canadian out. Could he be the league’s best player, period? The eight-year vet doesn’t flinch.

“Yeah, I think so.”

Watching Harris truck into the heart of a defence then pop through the pile of human rubble, or watching him pull a pass in and bolt down the field are both impressive feats. What has the player that lingers in O’Shea’s stoic exterior waving a towel and cheering is what he does away from and around the ball.

“I think it’s hard to really appreciate what he does if you’re not in our building. He’s just very intelligent and he makes people better around him,” O’Shea said. “He thinks of himself as an o-lineman when it’s pass and he thinks of himself as a receiver when he’s running routes and as a tailback. I think when he carries the ball it’s like he’s…he wants to serve the O-line for their effort.”

 

Harris makes you want to stop and think, to try and get ahead of yourself enough to realize that in the here and now you’re witnessing something that could stand up against future greats. Even his quarterback is thinking that way.

“It’s nice to recognize while I’m playing with him because I can enjoy the time that I get out there with him,” Nichols said.

“Not just on the field but in the locker room and away from the locker room. (We’ve) become very good friends and I’ve said more than a few times that he’s one of my favourite teammates that I’ve ever had. I love playing football with him.”

Using a blowout win to his advantage, Harris was able to pad his stats as the Bombers tried to run out the clock against the Argos. Along the way, he moved past the last great Canadian running back, Jon Cornish, into second on the all-time Canadian rushing yards list.

“Jon Cornish was an amazing running back and definitely someone I watched coming into the league. He was a couple of years before me and to surpass him is great,” Harris said. “It’s something I’ll probably cherish and look at after I’m done playing. Right now I’m happy about the win and happy how my O-line played and looking forward to next week.”

Cornish was also the last Canadian to win the MOP award, in 2013. It’s early and there’s still a lot of football to be played, but if Harris carries through on the promise of the first six games of his season, could that be next for him?

“I don’t like to talk about those things,” Dressler said. “But he’s always been that type of player to me. Absolutely.”