The way Andrew Harris explains it he’s “The Dude” in the BC Lions running attack.
Saying you are The Dude is one thing. So far, the explosive Canadian tailback is walking his talk.
Late in last week’s game, BC was clinging to a three-point lead over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats when the Lions took over the ball on their own 36-yard line. With everyone in the stadium knowing BC wanted to burn time off the clock Harris had three consecutive runs, the longest a 37-yard gallop that sealed Hamilton’s fate in a 39-36 Lions’ victory.
| The Dude at Work |
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 In Week 2, Harris notched his first career 100-yard rushing game, taking off for 147 yards – 110 of which came in the fourth quarter. |
He was The Dude.
“That was probably the biggest positive offensively all night, being able to close the game out like we did,” said quarterback Travis Lulay.
Harris ended the game with 13 carries for 147 yards and a touchdown. His longest run was a 61-yard ramble and he had two catches for six yards. It was a performance that resulted in Harris being named the Gibson’s Finest Canadian Player of the Week.
Like all good running backs Harris praised the offensive line for opening the holes. He still managed to make his closing act look easier than it was.
“It’s the fourth quarter, everyone is tired. It’s a grind,” he said. “To be able to stick through it, especially when everyone knows you are getting the ball, those first downs are crucial.”
Entering the third week of the CFL season Harris leads the league with 194 rushing yards on 21 carries. Hamilton’s Chevon Walker is second with 169 yards on 18 carries. Harris will be tested again Saturday when the 2-0 Lions travel to Regina to play the 2-0 Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Harris turned heads last year when he took over the starting position in the second half of the season. He led the Lions with 458 rushing yards on 96 carries, including 14 runs of 10-plus yards. He also had 30 catches for 395 yards and seven touchdowns.
Harris continued to impress in the playoffs. He had 65 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown in B.C.’s Grey Cup victory over Winnipeg and was named the game’s outstanding Canadian.
It was a good season but Harris spent the winter trying to get better.
“I just had to work on the little things,” said the 25-year-old Winnipeg native.”Getting faster, getting stronger. Last year I was coming in and out and getting plays here and there. Now I know I’m an every-down-back kind of guy.
“It’s a whole different body structure and mental way of thinking. You have to come to work every day and know you are The Dude. You have to compete.”
Some running backs are built like a bull. They use power and strength. The five-foot-11, 195-pound Harris is more of a rope. Nicknamed Twizzy by his teammates, he’s lean, tough and elusive.
Kelly Bates, the Lions running backs coach, said Harris has shown a maturity beyond his years. It’s something that resonates with his teammates.
“He takes care of his body, he takes care of the details,” said Bates.”He makes sure everybody around him in his group is held accountable based on the way he carries himself.
“He is a smart person. He plays the game smart. He knows how to make his reads; he knows how to progress through his reads. He knows how to put himself in a good position to have success on the field. When you combine that with his speed and natural instincts you have a very impressive back.”
What has impressed centre Angus Reid is Harris’s thirst to learn. He’s always looking for ways improve his game.
“He sits in on our meetings,” said Reid.”He likes to know what we are doing up front. He understands all the schemes. He understands where he should run and why, instead of blindly taking the ball and trying to be a running back like a lot of guys do.
“He knows what we are doing, and almost more importantly, why we are doing it. He can understand where he should run and why he should run there. He does the rest on his own, makes people miss, uses his second effort.”
Harris took a different route to the CFL. He played five seasons with the Vancouver Island Raiders of the Canadian Junior Football League, leading the team to back-to-back Canadian Bowl titles in 2008 and 2009. Harris holds the all-time CJFL scoring record and touchdown record.
He spent 2009 on the Lions’ practice roster while still playing for the Raiders. Last year he was bothered by a pectoral injury early in the season. This year Harris feels stronger physically and more comfortable with the game around him.
“The game has slowed down a lot for me,” he said.”As a running back you always have to be patient. You are going to get one-yard, two-yard gains. You have to be persistent.
“It’s a process and it’s a structure you have to build toward.”
Head coach Mike Benevides said Harris maintains an even keel.
“He doesn’t get too high or too low,” said Benevides.”He’s a very controlled young man. I think part of his game is more patience, more understanding of what is required of him.”
Harris has set a goal of rushing for over 1,000 yards this season. He knows to do that his game must keep evolving.
“It’s not being one dimensional,” he said.”It’s being versatile, being able to run inside and outside. Being able to catch the ball.
“These are things I am working on week to week,”
All things you have to do if you want to be The Dude.
