In an alternate universe, Sean Harris would be on the edge of his seat at Arizona Stadium on Saturday, cheering on his son and his alma mater in their new “battle gray” uniforms.
Under a different set of circumstances, Harris might even be watching his other son play for the first time in his father’s hometown.
Saturday’s Arizona-Colorado game was supposed to be a Harris family reunion. Jalen Harris is a fourth-year outside linebacker for the Wildcats; Jason Harris is a freshman edge rusher for the Buffaloes. Their parents, Sean and Cha-Ron, were UA athletes.
Alas, the reunion is on hold. Arizona isn’t allowing family members of student-athletes to attend Saturday’s game as COVID-19 cases continue to surge. While Jalen is starting and playing some of the best football of his career, Jason isn’t traveling while he works on adding strength and mass to his 6-foot-7-inch, 240-pound frame.
The Harrises and other UA football families came out in force for the Nov. 14 opener against USC. Sean and Cha-Ron would be there Saturday if they could.
“Oh yeah,” said Sean Harris, who played at linebacker at the UA in the 1990s, played in the NFL and last year was elected to the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame.
“But I understand. COVID is spreading like crazy now. In order for the kids to continue to play, you’ve gotta limit the outside contact with the football team. So I definitely get it.”
This year has required everyone to adapt. The offseason was disrupted and fractured. The Pac-12 season was postponed, reinstated and abbreviated.
Arizona is struggling more than most on the field. The Wildcats are 0-3 and are seeking to break a school-record 10-game losing streak.
Although he was a key member of the famed “Desert Swarm” squads, Sean Harris knows what it’s like to fail. In his first year playing, 1991, the Wildcats went 4-7.
Persevering amid adversity was one of several topics Harris discussed in a phone interview with the Star. Harris, who spends much of his time these days transporting daughter Kayla, 5, to gymnastics practice, also talked about Jalen’s progress at the UA and raising two future Division I football players. The conversation has been lightly edited for context and clarity.
What’s the main message you’ve consistently imparted to your boys over the years?
A: “I always preached effort. Growing up, I used to love Brian Bosworth. I loved Derrick Thomas and all the linebackers at Alabama. I used to tell (Jalen and Jason) all the time, effort makes plays, effort wins games. I used to drill it into them: effort, effort, effort. It was hard for them to comprehend when they were younger. As they got older, they started understanding.”
How would you assess Jalen’s progress over the course of his career at Arizona?
A: “Watching them this year, as much dropping as he’s doing, I’m impressed. When he was in high school, he never really dropped (into pass coverage). He probably dropped once or twice his whole high school career. He’s always been in a four-man front, had his hand in the dirt, getting after the quarterback basically every play. Since he’s been at Arizona, he’s really been in a four-man front.”
Jalen doesn’t have a sack yet, but he has made a lot of plays (15 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, two PBUs). What have you noticed?
A: “A big play for me was, last week vs. UCLA, they ran speed option at him. He had the quarterback, and the quarterback pitches it to the tailback, No. 10 (Demetric Felton), who’s a quick, speedy, athletic kid. And there was nobody out there for the pitch. Jalen just put his foot in the dirt, ran and limited him to a 4-yard gain instead of a big play.”
Early in his career here, Jalen switched to No. 49, which was your number. Did you know that was coming?
A: “He just came out with it. He didn’t talk to me about it. I believe each kid has to be their own person. I want him to be his own person. That’s why he’s not ‘Junior.’ He’s his own person, he’s his own man.
“He’s way more athletic than I am, and to see him doing the things that he’s doing, I’m happy (for) him. It’s been a long, tough year for them. And it’s been a long four years for him. I just tell him to take advantage of any opportunity you get.”
Jason chose Colorado over Arizona and others. Then CU’s coach, Mel Tucker, left after signing day. How did Jason handle that?
A: “It hurt him. Him and Mel’s relationship was real good. To be honest, Mel was the reason why he went to Colorado. But he talked to the new coaching staff. He was willing to give it a try and see how things worked out.”
What’s it been like to root for a school other than Arizona?
A: “It’s different. But you always root for your kids, and you want your kids to have success. You want the teams that they’re on to have success. So it’s kind of natural. It doesn’t matter what jersey they’re in; I’m rooting for my kid and that team.
“Colorado’s having a lot of success; Arizona is struggling. But I like the things they’re doing defensively. They’re kind of behind the ball a little bit with COVID, no spring ball, the coaches not getting to see the players on the field, and then a lot of transfers. It’s a tough situation.”
The defense played well in the second half vs. UCLA. What did you take from that?
A: “If you look at their schedule, they’ve played some really tough teams. ... But it only makes you better, going through adversity. I went through it my (redshirt) freshman year. We played Washington up at Washington. They ended up being (co-national champions). We lost like 55-3 (actual score: 54-0). The next week, we played UCLA, lose (54-14).
“I’ve been in (Jalen’s) shoes. It is not fun, but you learn, you build and you get better. It can break you or it can make you, depending on what you’re made of.”
What would be your No. 1 piece of advice for the current Wildcats?
A: “The main thing is, they gotta stick together. I’ve been a part of great teams; I’ve been a part of losing teams. The first thing losing teams do, they place blame on everybody else. People start jumping ship. The great teams, they may not be great now, but they hang in there, they stick together, and it turns around really quick.
“People speak of that ‘Desert Swarm’ defense. But if you look at it, (in) ’91, we were a horrible defense. It was embarrassing. People ran on us. They did whatever they wanted to. But you tweak a few things, you change a few positions. That same group of kids, we bonded over the summer. All of a sudden, we were the No. 1 defense in the nation. And there was nothing anyone could tell us.
“We always had that confidence. We wanted to prove it, and we couldn’t wait to get back on the field the following year. I’m a firm believer (that) how things look now could be totally different six months from now. Just keep working, keep plugging and stay together.”
