BOULDER — Wonder about the toughness and tenacity required of an offensive lineman? Colorado junior tackle Jack Harris has missed 23 games the past two seasons because of injury, and he calls that “part of the job description.”
Job description?
“Yeah, injuries are part of the whole deal,” Harris said this week after a practice. “You just have to look ahead and not look behind.”
Frankly, and through no fault of Harris, there isn’t much to see when looking for his past accomplishments — at least not at the college level. A four-star recruit out of Chaparral High School in Parker, Harris (6-foot-5 and 305 pounds) has played in just two games. That was last year, and both were starting assignments. But he suffered a lower leg fracture in the second game, against California, and sat out the remainder of the 2011 season.
In 2010, as a redshirt freshman, Harris was a standout in spring drills and appeared ready to make a move up the depth chart. His season ended before it began. Ten days into August camp, he injured his left shoulder and it kept him sidelined for the entire fall.
Steve Marshall, the Buffs’ second-year offensive line coach, said he believes Harris, who is pegged as the starter at right tackle, has pro potential. Marshall should know. He coached NFL offensive lines for six years, at Houston (2002-05) and Cleveland (2007-08).
“Jack is a good football player,” Marshall said. “Really, the thing he needs to do is stay healthy and stay out there playing. You just have to do it on the field now.
“He did it for two games, but anybody can do it for two games. As I told Jack, if he can stay on the field he’s got a great future in football. He’s big, he’s athletic, he’s smart. He’s tough. He’s 21 years old now, so his body has grown up. The guy likes to play football. If he continues to grow in the game, he and David Bakhtiari (the starting left tackle) have a chance to be NFL players.”
To say Harris has been “snakebit” by injuries is an understatement. His left shoulder “blew out,” as Harris put it, when, during a collision, the shoulder was hit just right. Or perhaps better put, just wrong.
Last year, Harris suffered a fracture of his lower tibia due to friendly fire, so to speak. On a quick pass play in the home game against California, Buffs tailback Rodney Stewart inadvertently kicked out Harris’ left leg. Awkwardly, all the tackle’s weight suddenly went to his right leg, and it snapped.
For the better part of two years, Harris has spent the rehabilitation time trying to get stronger.
“I feel good,” Harris said. “I feel a lot better. I’m more flexible and strong. I couldn’t play, so I just asserted myself in the weight room. When my leg was broken, I did a lot of upper-body work.”
The potential has always been there. He picked CU from an offer list that included Arizona State, Oregon, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt and Washington.
“Jack always had a good, tough mentality,” Chaparral coach John Vogt said.
At least Harris was able to give a glimpse of what he can do by grading out at 82 percent for his 2011 games against Hawaii and California. That compared favorably with the season grades of last year’s seniors, Ethan Adkins (85 percent) and Ryan Miller (83 percent).
Harris is called a “road grader” by Bakhtiari because he ranks among CU’s most physical linemen.
“Jack is one of our cornerstones,” Marshall said. “This is his time.”
Long overdue, the team might add.
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280, tkensler@denverpost.com or
