Leap of faith - Former Washington and SDSU standout
Don’t misunderstand – JaRon Harris desperately wants to make the Green Bay Packers roster. In fact, sometimes it feels more like a need than a want.
But the Washington High School alum is one of four players listed as a third-team receiver on the depth chart. The Packers won’t keep that many, and the coaches aren’t giving any clues about his chances beyond standard instructional feedback.
So Harris plans to hold tightly to the memory of Saturday’s preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns – even though the only ball thrown in his direction, the first and most significant of his 14 snaps, bounced off his hands and into the arms of a defender early in the fourth quarter.
“It was thrown a little bit more outside than I thought it was going to be, but I still should have had it,” Harris said. “I guess that’s my ‘welcome to the NFL’ moment.”
And then he laughed. The miscue did nothing to dampen his mood.
After all, the former South Dakota State standout got to don the green and gold of the storied squad that he grew up supporting – and in just his seventh year of organized football.
He played under the lights at historic and far-from-frozen Lambeau Field before a crowd of 69,091. That’s more than attended all six SDSU home games combined last season.
Among those on hand: his sister, his mom, his dad – a former NFL draft pick – and his wife. They sat in the second row behind the Packers’ bench, sporting green No. 81 T-shirts. Mom, Rhonda, was “totally pumped,” and contemplated dumping a longtime allegiance to the Minnesota Vikings in the minutes leading up to kickoff.
Likewise, Harris has been trying to soak it all in.
“You have to just take in everything that comes and enjoy just meeting everybody, being around all these players and learning everything you can,” he said. “Just do your best and hope for the future, you know? Whatever happens it’s a great experience and I’ll never forget it. It’ll be great to tell my kids someday.”
He’ll tell those hypothetical children that he beat the odds to get onto the gloriously green grass of Green Bay, having played just one year at Washington and spending his college days at NCAA Division I newcomer SDSU.
He’ll tell them that he caught practice passes from quarterback Aaron Rodgers, joked with Pro Bowl receiver Donald Driver and lined up against Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson. He’ll tell them that on one memorable Monday he was dubbed the unofficial “player of the day” by a Packers beat writer for hauling in multiple deep balls from Brett Favre’s successor.
So while Harris conceded that Lambeau is worlds away from Coughlin-Alumni Stadium (especially when it comes to the quality of cornerbacks), he doesn’t feel like he’s in over his head. He has benefited from the extra reps that resulted from injuries to other receivers and spent the days leading up to the Cleveland contest running routes for the scout offense.
“He’s doing well, and they’re recognizing him,” said JaRon’s dad, Ron, who played preseason games with Minnesota and Chicago in the late 1970s. “The other players talk to him, and he just smiles. The veterans are patting him on the head and looking at him and going, ‘Hmm, where did this guy come from?’ ”
For starters, Harris was a four-year contributor for the Jackrabbits, transforming from raw return threat to polished playmaker – he finished third in school history in career catches (152) and career receiving yards (2,241).
The 6-foot, 208-pound speedster – he’s gained 15 pounds in recent months – agreed to a free agent contract minutes after the draft ended in April, choosing the Packers over offers from four other NFL teams. He and his agent decided that he’d have the best shot to make the roster in Green Bay.
That remains to be seen. The Packers won’t keep more than six receivers on the active roster (five is probably a more realistic number), with maybe one more on the practice squad. There are currently nine wide outs on the team. The next round of cuts come Sept. 1, followed by the final round on Sept. 5.
Meanwhile, Harris’ wife, Desiree, continues to live and work in Sioux Falls. Her job with a non-profit organization is more secure – if less lucrative – than his.
“I’ve been doing everything the coaches have been asking me – getting my depths right and doing all the little things,” Harris said. “That’s going to help, but they don’t talk to you about if you have a good shot of making it or anything.”
He’s not losing sleep over it. In fact, he snuck in a nap in his parents’ room at the team hotel before the game.
In many ways, Harris has already made it. How many South Dakota kids have played an NFL game on Lombardi Avenue?
His parents made friends before the game, spreading the word about their hopeful son. Desiree, who as a little girl dressed up like a Green Bay cheerleader, made a stop in the wives’ suite at the $295 million stadium.
Just before kickoff, the public address system blared a song by the Black Eyed Peas. The chorus: Tonight’s gonna be a good, good night.
And for Harris it was.
“It’s what every kid dreams about – just going out there and playing in the NFL,” he said. “It’s quite the experience just coming out of the tunnel with the crowd right there.”