Harris could answer linebacker woes for Tide

By Robert Rousseau  |   Tuesday, July 08, 2008  |  Comments( 3 )

Alabama Crimson Tide
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As you know, RealFootball365.com and every other media outlet have been reporting on Alabama’s lack of experience at linebacker. Experience is huge, no doubt. But every now and then, a freshman comes along with enough talent to erase such a disadvantage with his sound play. The good thing about the Tide’s 2008 recruiting class -- the No. 1-ranked group in the land, mind you -- is that a plethora of talented young linebackers are in it.

One of those LBs is Jerrell Harris, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound outside backer from Gadsden, Ala., who runs the 40 in 4.5 seconds and possesses a 34-inch vertical leap. Further, he squats a whopping 500 pounds.

That said, you don’t want measurables from an outside linebacker; rather, you want performance. As a junior for Gadsden City High, Harris racked up a terrific 125 tackles in 11 games. As a senior, though, Harris really came into his own, adding a stupendous 140-tackle, 18-sack and three-interception effort.

It's no wonder Harris ranked 34th on Rivals' 100, right? What's more, he was considered the third-best outside linebacker in the 2008 class, the fourth-ranked player coming out of Alabama, and the top run stopper in the nation at his position.

The bottom line is that Harris has all the tools to be a great player for the Tide. Still, he’s modest enough to know that he needs to continue to work on his game.

"I'm versatile and have a nose for the football,” he says. “I'm also very aggressive and can find my way to the ball. I never give up. I still want to get better at taking on blocks and hand placement and technique."

There’s no guarantee that Harris will be ready to start or put in significant time this season for the Tide. Then again, with his athletic skills and record of performance, would you bet against him?




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About Robert Rousseau

Robert Rousseau is a sports writer that has been published in a variety of print and online venues. He’s been writing for RealFootball365.com for almost three years now. When Rousseau isn’t writing about college football he tends to be penning mixed martial arts pieces for MMAFighting.com or ...
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