First off, can you let me know what you’ve been up to since your playing days?
I’m an educator now at a private institution here in Atlanta. I’m the Student Success Coordinator for kids K-12.
After I stopped playing I became a restauranteur. I did that for five years. After that I moved to Atlanta and settled there with my college sweetheart. Life after football was challenging – I was lucky to find that next thing quickly. I took that love of football and redirected that. I was able to do that and work with youth to help them navigate this world.
How did you get started?
The restaurant was a family business – we owned the longest-established Jamaican restaurant in Delaware and I brought that to Florida. After that I moved back to Atlanta. It’s hard to find that multi-layered passion that I had for football – it’s difficult to duplicate that. My wife helped me to find my way. I was lucky – the first school I worked at believed in me and I’ve been there ever since. I taught English, coached football and teach a leadership class. It’s been a good process for me. Football is a lot about player development, and I’ve gone through a similar development process here as well.
I know you were the first player from Delaware to get a scholarship to Miami – what did that mean to you and was it difficult being the only one?
It’s always difficult being the first but that was my dream. No one from Delaware was getting Division I scholarships. So breaking through – me and my brother – getting through that glass ceiling meant a lot.
I believe in the power of chasing a dream. That’s why I want to give back as a teacher. There wasn’t a tradition of football talent in Delaware so we really has to believe in that dream.
Your brother (Kwame) was a round one pick as well – what made the Harris family so successful in the football?
Lot’s of big food bills! My parents are from Jamaica – we didn’t know a lot about football and how it can impact your life and your community. My oldest brother played at Colgate – we saw how hard it was for him to make it there. We worked hard and did it for our family. We trained together and visited schools together – it was magical to do that. We wanted to do what people thought couldn’t be done. We had a good support system – coaches, family….they were like NASA – they launched us off into our football careers. I consider myself lucky for that.
Were you surprised when the Steelers drafted you?
I had no idea they were interested. Especially after they just had won the Super Bowl. Willie Parker and Casey Hampton were especially good to me. They had the funniest stories and the culture they instilled was terrific.
Any good examples of that?
Oh yeah. Every Saturday we had to bring blueberry pancakes to Coach Mitchell. They had so much tradition. Breakfast on Saturdays was important to the team – we all had to eat together. It was important to the team to bond over meals. I remember having to walk past Coach Mitchell’s office – you had to get him his pancakes right at 9:45. Not 9:43 or 9:47! And they had to be hot! They told us that “Humble things grow.” They had such great traditions – they treated things like a family. Doing that makes football special.
What were the differences between the Steelers and the Browns and Bengals teams you later played for?
In Pittsburgh, the coaches were so personable. It was less about critique and more about development. The offensive coaches helped as much as the defensive ones. That culture makes it fun and special. They had that family dynamic – like it was in the water.
When I played at Miami in college – that was similar to Pittsburgh. The older guys reached out to the younger guys. Who mentors you matters. It wasn’t a competition between players. The win was the most important thing. They reinforced that. The players weren’t play counting. Hoke supported Hampton – it wasn’t about taking anyone’s spot.
The comradery and team-building too. Everyone has close to the same talent level – its more about the culture at that stage. The Steelers culture was real – players walked to the stadium and talked to the fans. They go to tailgating parties. It was just different. They were all together and sharing with each other and the fans. It wasn’t like that anywhere else. When you won, the city won.
Any fun memories stand out most to you of your time in Pittsburgh?
My rookie show – we all had to do a song and perform it in front of the defensive room. I’m not a singer. I’m more of a wrestler! Well, I said I wasn’t going to do it but in the end I had to. I ended up singing Rick James’ “Give it to me baby”. Everyone got excited but I stopped – I didn’t know the whole song. Everyone booed when I stopped and told me I had to do the whole song! Darren Perry called me “Slick” after that!
What happened that led you to go play for the Browns that season?
They tried to get me used to playing in a 3-4 but I wasn’t used to it – I played in a 4-3 in Miami. I wasn’t patient enough. They wanted me to come back and try it again. They offered me a chance to stay after I was released, but Cleveland offered me a better deal. A chance to play right away instead of being on the practice squad, so I took that.
Was it strange playing against the team you just left?
Casey would talk to me after the games and see how I was doing. It was always good – they were good to me. A lot of brotherly love. I ask myself “What if?” at times.
How did the teams treat those Steelers games from a rival perspective?
The Steelers just wanted to win. The Browns and Bengals – they wanted to beat the Steelers because they knew the Steelers were the best team at the time. You could see how much those games meant to the Browns.
The Bengals too. They didn’t feel like they were a playoff team if they didn’t beat the Steelers. They wanted to beat their rival. I remember games where the Steelers and Bengals were both good enough to beat one another. That was exciting – it was like a college game.
And I remember my first Monday Night game in Pittsburgh. I was told it’d be nothing like a preseason game and they were right. Seeing all of those Terrible Towels – you didn’t see those much in preseason but they were everywhere that Monday Night. That is a special memory for me.
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