For nine seasons, cornerback Chris Harris Jr. terrorized the Chargers offense. Even Philip Rivers would jaw at him, though Harris hardly talked back and always let his play do the talking.
Harris has always played with a chip on his shoulder. He went to Kansas State and balled out, but he wasn’t drafted, then worked hard to make the 53-man roster.
Often, when undrafted rookies make a roster, it is believed that they won’t be there for the long term. But Harris has cemented his place in the league, and now he's a Charger.
“I am hungry!” exclaimed Harris Jr. “I am not done. I have a lot of goals I want to achieve. I want to be in the Hall of Fame; I want to continue getting Pro-Bowls and All-Pros. That’s putting in the work I do every day. I am bringing a lot of chips, man.”
He is on his way to achieving the goals he has set, but one thing that was said on Wednesday during a zoom call with the media was he knows this team is trying to win. Harris knows what it takes to win a Super Bowl. He was a part of the 2015 Denver Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50.
So, what made him choose the Chargers?
“The coaching was number one for me,” said Harris. “Being comfortable with a coach that coached me for my first three years in the league. I had great success with him. I still use a lot of his tools to this day. Being able to join back with him and the rest of the impact players on the defense I thought would be a great fit for me.” Harris Jr. is speaking about Chargers defensive backs coach Ron Milus, who was the Broncos secondaries coach before taking a job with the Bolts.
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Milus is well respected not only in his locker room but around the NFL. He is the father of the “Jack Boyz,” which is what the Bolts secondary calls themselves. Harris Jr. brings a lot to a Chargers secondary that already has Derwin James, Casey Hayward, and Desmond King. Now with the talent mentioned, a big question has been where would Milus and defensive coordinator Gus Bradley play the former all-pro? He said on Wednesday outside, and slot corner and even joked, if needed, safety.
Harris is familiar with the AFC West. He knows they will have to face Las Vegas receivers Tyrell Williams and Henry Ruggs III, the Denver Broncos' Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy, and the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins. There is a lot of firepower in the AFC West, and the Bolts knew they needed help in the secondary to combat it. Harris is ready to join the Bolts and is prepared for his newest challenge.
“I am fired up, man,” said Harris Jr. “Last year, there was a lot of stuff going on with me. Mentally, you never know how stuff will wear down on you, and I think it just did. Going into this year, I feel so happy, and I have a clear mind. I feel very comfortable here.”
One thing that Harris. never forgets is how he came into the league. He wants to reach out to as many guys as he can to give them an example of how he made the team, and help them make the roster as well.
“It is part of my story to be able to relate to guys,” explained Harris. “They understand that no one gave me anything. I had to go earn it. Off that, them hearing my story, it can gain respect. I want to teach all the young guys as much as I can. I want to be an open book for any player. I feel like I have a lot of experience on the field and off the field to help guide these guys.”
