Andrew Harris making believers out of most everyone

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WestCoastJoe
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http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=454512
Harris and Logan ready to roll for the Lions

6/10/2014 7:27:13 PM CP

KAMLOOPS, B.C. -- The B.C. Lions turned to a familiar face when their ground game was in tatters late last season, and Stefan Logan is looking forward to once again exploiting his unique backfield partnership with Andrew Harris in 2014.

"It's like ketchup and mustard," Logan said of the Lions' running back duo. "If you don't have ketchup and mustard on your hamburger, it won't be any good."

Logan was a dynamic threat for the Lions in 2008 before jumping to the NFL, but when the phone stopped ringing with offers down south he decided on a return to his former CFL club.

"As I was at home waiting on calls I was working out and staying in shape and stuff like that," said Logan. "When I talked to the B.C. Lions I was more than willing to come up here and help us win games."

A leaky offensive line and a tendency to abandon the ground attack meant the Lions were without a 100-yard rusher for 11 straight contests in 2013, but the speedy Logan's injection into the lineup helped the situation improve almost overnight.

A more south-runner, Harris was no longer the only focus for defences, and both he and Logan found some traction as the Lions ran for almost 200 yards a game over the season's final three weeks.

"(Harris) does a lot of different things that I don't do," Logan said at training camp last week. "He's more of a downhill, patient runner and hits the hole. I'm more of a slasher, getting inside and outside.

"He has the ability to do certain things that I'm not that great at, and I can do certain things that he can't do. That's what makes it such a great running back (combination)."

Despite all the struggles last season, Harris still managed to rush for 998 yards and seven touchdowns. Clearly frustrated at times, the Winnipeg native never criticized his coaches or teammates and is now looking forward to having Logan as a backfield counterpart for a full season.

"It's going to be a great give-and-take scenario. Having two guys to spell each other and feed off each other ... any time he makes a play, I'm going to want to make a play," said Harris. "I think we both bring a different skill set and that's something we can utilize. Having us both on the field at the same time is going to create mismatches with linebackers and in the pass game as well.

"I think no matter what we do we're going to be productive."

Not unfamiliar with the spotlight of being a ball carrier after mainly returning kicks in the NFL, Logan had sympathy for Harris when things weren't going well last season.

"I understand when people point the finger at you and it's not your fault. It's not like his running style had changed or he started tipping (plays) or anything like that," said Logan. "When you've got people pointing the finger, it's always going to be towards you because you're running the ball.

"If guys miss a block, the fans don't see that. All they see is you."

Lions head coach Mike Benevides parted ways with offensive co-ordinator Jacques Chapdelaine after last season and replaced him with former CFL quarterback Khari Jones in hopes of reinvigorating a stagnant attack.

"What everybody's seen the last couple years in our league is you have to run the football," said Benevides. "Two years ago we were the best running team, last year we weren't but I think we showed an identity at the end of the season when we were running for 200 yards a game.

"With (Logan and Harris), you have two changeup guys. You have two elite players with different skill sets that can attack out of the backfield."

Jones has made it clear he wants to be aggressive, and with starting quarterback Travis Lulay still struggling to come back from shoulder surgery, the Lions could lean on Logan and Harris even more.

"It's going to give us some great options on offence," said Jones. "It's going to be our job as an offensive staff to find out how to best utilize those two guys and get them the ball in the right positions."

The Lions will host the Grey Cup in November, and with the CFL and its players' association now waiting to ratify a new labour agreement, the team is eager to see what a Logan-Harris backfield can do from the start.

"We're all about getting those positive yards and not putting that heat on our back. We want to put the team on our back to move forward," said Logan. "I felt (Harris's) pain last year and I wanted to come in and boost him up and let him know that it's going to be OK.

"I told him: 'You and I are going to be back here together and we're going to run this thing down their throat until the season is over."'
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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WestCoastJoe
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A leaky offensive line and a tendency to abandon the ground attack meant the Lions were without a 100-yard rusher for 11 straight contests in 2013, but the speedy Logan's injection into the lineup helped the situation improve almost overnight.

A more south-runner, Harris was no longer the only focus for defences, and both he and Logan found some traction as the Lions ran for almost 200 yards a game over the season's final three weeks.
"(Harris) does a lot of different things that I don't do," Logan said at training camp last week. "He's more of a downhill, patient runner and hits the hole. I'm more of a slasher, getting inside and outside.

"He has the ability to do certain things that I'm not that great at, and I can do certain things that he can't do. That's what makes it such a great running back (combination)."
Despite all the struggles last season, Harris still managed to rush for 998 yards and seven touchdowns. Clearly frustrated at times, the Winnipeg native never criticized his coaches or teammates and is now looking forward to having Logan as a backfield counterpart for a full season.
:thup:
Not unfamiliar with the spotlight of being a ball carrier after mainly returning kicks in the NFL, Logan had sympathy for Harris when things weren't going well last season.

"I understand when people point the finger at you and it's not your fault. It's not like his running style had changed or he started tipping (plays) or anything like that," said Logan. "When you've got people pointing the finger, it's always going to be towards you because you're running the ball.

"If guys miss a block, the fans don't see that. All they see is you."
Lions head coach Mike Benevides parted ways with offensive co-ordinator Jacques Chapdelaine after last season and replaced him with former CFL quarterback Khari Jones in hopes of reinvigorating a stagnant attack.

"What everybody's seen the last couple years in our league is you have to run the football," said Benevides. "Two years ago we were the best running team, last year we weren't but I think we showed an identity at the end of the season when we were running for 200 yards a game.

"With (Logan and Harris), you have two changeup guys. You have two elite players with different skill sets that can attack out of the backfield."
"We're all about getting those positive yards and not putting that heat on our back. We want to put the team on our back to move forward," said Logan. "I felt (Harris's) pain last year and I wanted to come in and boost him up and let him know that it's going to be OK.

"I told him: 'You and I are going to be back here together and we're going to run this thing down their throat until the season is over."'
Oh Yeah. :thup:

Something to look forward to.

Tough league though. I thought Wally had easy pickings for a few years. He made decisions for the present and the future, serious decisions, and he was ahead of most of the opposition. The ante has been raised. The bar has been raised. Not so easy now.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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MexicoLionFan
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Tough or not Joe, defences will have to make choices against us if they are going to stop the run...and if they do, Kevin Glenn is more than capable of making teams pay for stacking the LOS. This is why I was excited when Khari Jones got the job...Khari LOVES playaction...Khari knows that a quick passing game, is an extension of the run game...all these things are dedicated to the running game, but make teams pay when they cheat. Chapdelaine did NOT do this. We lined up in obvious passing situations, teams pinned their ears back and exerted pressure on the LOS...neither run nor pass works under those circumstances, and your QBs get hurt. Jones doesn't pay lip service to the run game, for him its the backbone to his offences. As long as our OLine stays healthy and our receivers CATCH the football, we are going to have a very good unit.
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WestCoastJoe
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MexicoLionFan wrote:Tough or not Joe, defences will have to make choices against us if they are going to stop the run...and if they do, Kevin Glenn is more than capable of making teams pay for stacking the LOS. This is why I was excited when Khari Jones got the job...Khari LOVES playaction...Khari knows that a quick passing game, is an extension of the run game...all these things are dedicated to the running game, but make teams pay when they cheat.
Yes, MLF. Harris, Logan, Glenn and a quick hitting pass/run attack is a nice prospect.

It is also encouraging that our young O Line has shown well in TC. When we get Fabien and Steward back, we have the makings of a very good ground attack, and Kevin Glenn sure helps the O Line with his ultra quick reads and releases. We should be able to keep defences very much off balance.

And we know O Linemen love to block for the running game. Run blocking is all about attacking the defenders in a personal way. Pass blocking is more of a fail safe thing. With a guy like Glenn, though, the passing attack also takes the wind out of the defence. Just as the D Line or LBs get close to him, the ball is gone, and they have to turn and chase.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
TheLionKing
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MexicoLionFan wrote:Tough or not Joe, defences will have to make choices against us if they are going to stop the run...and if they do, Kevin Glenn is more than capable of making teams pay for stacking the LOS. This is why I was excited when Khari Jones got the job...Khari LOVES playaction...Khari knows that a quick passing game, is an extension of the run game...all these things are dedicated to the running game, but make teams pay when they cheat. Chapdelaine did NOT do this. We lined up in obvious passing situations, teams pinned their ears back and exerted pressure on the LOS...neither run nor pass works under those circumstances, and your QBs get hurt. Jones doesn't pay lip service to the run game, for him its the backbone to his offences. As long as our OLine stays healthy and our receivers CATCH the football, we are going to have a very good unit.
X2
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MexicoLionFan
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Again, I agree WCJ...the Lions young OLine has a chance to become one of the best OLines we have ever had...we just need them to stay healthy...and if Olafoye can stay young, that's a very good group over the next 5 years...
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Toppy Vann
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The best way to develop your OL is to give them plays to block for that are not predictable as the old regime.

They have to be able to run and pass block.

If a coach like JC and others said before - says it is too hard to teach run blocking and put in run plays - FIRE HIM ON THE SPOT.
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notahomer
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MexicoLionFan wrote:Again, I agree WCJ...the Lions young OLine has a chance to become one of the best OLines we have ever had...we just need them to stay healthy...and if Olafoye can stay young, that's a very good group over the next 5 years...

Hope you are right....
Not being pessimistic, JUST would enjoy suffering( :wink: )with a SOLID FIVE YEARS of an awesome O-Line! :cool:
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MexicoLionFan
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Nota, look who's here...Norman settling in at Centre...Olafoye returning at RT (unscathed so far in his career), so filling in those remaining 3 spots isn't all that hard. Before his injury in TOR, Fabien was playing like an All Star as a rookie...and Hunter Steward and T-Dre both have tremendous potential to be solid starters for a long time...and Cody Husband should become a good lineman as well.
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notahomer
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MexicoLionFan wrote:Nota, look who's here...Norman settling in at Centre...Olafoye returning at RT (unscathed so far in his career), so filling in those remaining 3 spots isn't all that hard. Before his injury in TOR, Fabien was playing like an All Star as a rookie...and Hunter Steward and T-Dre both have tremendous potential to be solid starters for a long time...and Cody Husband should become a good lineman as well.
Sounds GREAT!!! A STRONG O-LINE for a half-decade? :rockin:
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WestCoastJoe
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This is a special young man.

He remembers his friend. He changed his number to honour him.

TSN ...

"Running Past the Pain"

http://www.tsn.ca/
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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WestCoastJoe
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http://www.theprovince.com/sports/footb ... story.html
B.C. Lions’ Andrew Harris could be making believers of friends and foes alike

By Ed Willes, The Province August 7, 2014

B.C. Lions’ Andrew Harris could be making believers of friends and foes alike


Andrew Harris runs with the ball against Calgary as the Stampeders’ Brandon Smith tries to stop him during B.C.’s 25-24 victory on Aug. 1.

Photograph by: Derek Leung , Getty Images

Running back Andrew Harris takes to the role of the underdog the way Olivier took to the role of Hamlet, and to understand the seed of his remarkable 2014 season with the Lions, we take you back to the Week 8 of last year, which wasn’t quite as remarkable.

Harris, to that point, was off to another hot start, averaging more than 70 rushing yards a game over the first eight games when the Lions’ running game suddenly dried up like a prune.

First, the scheme broke down. Then offensive co-ordinator Jacques Chapdelaine abandoned it altogether. Over a nine-game stretch, Harris accumulated 300 puny yards on the ground, which prompted a discussion about the suitability of having a Canadian junior football grad as the feature back in the Leos’ offence.

Harris took the criticism, kept his mouth shut and, eventually, the Lions straightened things out over the final three weeks and into the playoffs.

But he remembers that stretch, remembers all those who doubted him, just as they’ve doubted him throughout his career. And even if the 27-year-old Winnipegger doesn’t come right out and say he’s currently extending his middle finger to his critics, there are others who understand his motivation.

“He’s playing with a chip on his shoulder because of the position he was put in last year,” said guard Dean Valli. “Some people started to question him and that was unfair. Now, he’s playing like he’s got something to prove.”

And he’s making his point.

Harris, as you may be aware, is having a better year than Apple, and while it’s still early days, the prospect of what he might accomplish this season is exhilarating.

Heading into Friday night’s game with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, he leads the CFL in rushing, is second in receiving yards and, as you might have guessed, leads in yards from scrimmage by a comfortable margin.

He’s also in a position to threaten Mike Pringle’s all-time record for yards from scrimmage (2,414 yards, Harris has 722 after six games) and Willie Fleming’s all-time Lions’ record for yards from scrimmage (1,873), and to become the first back in CFL history to go for 1,000 yards in running and receiving.

“Andrew has found another gear,” said Lions head coach Mike Benevides. “He’s running harder and faster.”

To say nothing of angrier.

“I had an idea (of what he had in Harris),” said first-year offensive co-ordinator Khari Jones. “But he’s gone way beyond that, and I think that’s pretty cool.”

Harris, in fact, is coming off a monster game against Calgary last week (70 rushing yards, 73 passing yards and 83 yards wiped out by penalties) and the best part of this story is that it might be just beginning.

The Lions’ offensive line has changed cast members more often that Saturday Night Live over the last couple of seasons, but they might have found something a couple of games ago when newcomer Jermarcus Hardrick was installed at left guard.

According to Harris, Hardrick and rookie tackle Hunter Steward have brought a new-found snarl to the offensive line that has changed the personality of the offence. They are meaner. They are more aggressive. As a result, the Lions have shown a commitment to the run that wasn’t there under Chapdelaine.

“Any time you have a chance to take the fight to them it can change the momentum of the game,” said Valli. “Khari and his staff have given us a chance to succeed. I don’t know if that was the case in the past.”


Harris, for his part, isn’t exactly keen on discussing his individual accomplishments this season, but he does light up when he’s asked about the newly constructed offensive line.

“I think we have the most aggressive and the toughest O-line since I’ve been here,” he said. “I really feel the dog (a good thing in this case) in the O-line is coming out and it’s made a big difference in my game. There’s a bit of swagger with those guys.”

Somewhere in all this, Harris has become the focal point of the Lions’ offence. Both Benevides and Jones say his touches arise organically from the playbook, but it’s become apparent to the coaching staff that the Lions’ chances of winning — they’re 24-2 when Harris rushes 10 times or more in a game — are directly proportional to Harris’s workload.

“(The offence) has changed,” said Benevides. “My mandate is to run the football.”

And Harris is fully supportive of that mandate.

“As a playmaker, you want the rock in those crucial situations,” he said, before adding: “Honestly I’ve always believed in myself. Maybe last year, the negative talk played in my mind a bit. So maybe I’m trying to prove something.”

And maybe he’s making believers of us all.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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WestCoastJoe
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You cannot teach running talent. It is not so much about size, strength, speed, et cetera, although those qualities obviously help. Some athletes with all of those cannot run the football. They lack the balance, the ability to change directions, the ability to change body position. Most of all they lack the instincts. The instincts of a runner. Hall of Fame back Hugh McIlhenny said he was "running for his life," just like he did as a kid bringing the groceries home to Mom, in a very tough neighbourhood.

Just watching Harris run, it seems clear to me that he has the instincts, fully. The way he braces for contact. The way he senses a defender. He can run through tackles. He can change his body position so a defender cannot wrap him up. He keeps his feet moving. He explodes through a hole. And he has the vision. He can read the field. He is a playmaker deluxe.

For me he is as exciting a runner as I have ever seen. And that includes all the greats of the CFL and NFL. He has the instincts. IMO he is hugely talented. And that goes along with his huge motivation.

I hope we can keep him healthy.

I know there are still lots who do not quite believe. Just a Canadian kid from Junior football.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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Remember when some people wanted to give up on the kid as a RB and move him to Receiver or DB? I do.

Imagine that, patience paying off... :popcorn:
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Sir Purrcival
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I also remember a bunch of people who where calling for Harris to get a better chance and were wondering why Wally and co seemed so adverse to having him as a starting RB.
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