Interview with Potential Offensive Line Target Jarvis Harrison

Jarvis Harrison

Ht:6'4" Wt: 330lbs Pos: OG

College: Texas A & M

Analysis: He is a quiet guy from a small town and he had a strange path into football including how he wound up at A & M.  He's country strong and more athletic then you will think.  He is really strong at setting he feet and holding the point of attack.  He will need to have the team watch his diet, because he listens well but never really has been taught hiw to control his weight.  Although, I have followed him throughout the process and since he had someone work with him he has kept the weight managed at 330ish lbs.  He played basketball in high school, so his footwork is very smooth and uses it to fend off interior moves well.  He can allow guys to bull rush him a little more then you would like for a guy his size because he is not aggressive enough and lets them get him off balance.  He is a quiet guy who listens to coaching well, so I think he will be a good interior linemen, if not a great one, for many years in the NFL.

Q: I was at the NFLPA bowl, and I just wanted to follow-up and see how your training was going for you currently. What facility are you currently training at?

A: Michael Johnson’s Perfmance

Q: Is that in the Dallas Area?
A: Yes, It’s in Dallas

Q: I notice that you grew up in Texas near College Station, was that the choice of A & M easy for you, or did you have a lot of schools you narrowed it down from?
A: I started playing football late, so I had to take the SAT in all of that so no schools really offered me until that came back. On signing day, I signed to the Navarro Junior College and then luckily somebody on signing day dropped from A & M, so they had a spot opened. They offered me, so that’s why I went there.

Q: So it was kind of a strange way of getting there but ironic that it was very close to where you grew up?

A: Yep

Q: You grew up in Navasota a pretty small town, what was it like going from Navasota to College Station?

A: I was always in college station anyways it was so close so we always went there for movies and game rooms to play. We were always up there, it wasn't different.

Q: It seems like there wasn’t much to do in Navasota and that was the closest place for kids to go so you were familiar. I would assume that made the transition a little easier for you?

A: Yeah, yeah big time

Q: At the NFLPA bowl I thought you played really well and watched in the one-on-one drills. What was the biggest feedback you received from the coaches at the NFLPA bowl and want did you learn most during that experience?

A: I learned most just about being around the scouts talking to them because I’m not a big talkative guy, but just being around them and talking to them, it helped a lot.

Q: As far as being able to work with coaches like Mike Martz and Mike Holmgren did you have any time to talk to them or learn anything from them? What kind of things did they teach you?
A: Well, my position coaches in college like my first one was Jimmy Turner. He was with coach Shermen even though coach Sherman was a big OLine guy, so I learned a lot of stuff from them. There wasn't really much that they were saying that I hadn't heard already

Q: At the NFL PA bowl you said you were speaking with some of the scouts there. Which teams seem to be speaking with you most? Have you gotten any gauge of teams that might have interest?

A: No it was all just the question years so it was like the paperwork so really wasn't anything. I met with I think the Jaguars like personnel person I don’t know who it was.

Q: The Director of Player Personal?

A: Yes, yeah there you go

Q: Now I saw you just got an invite to the NFL combine, where were you when you found that out, and how did you find out?

A: I got the email I think after my bowl game, I got it when they first started sending them out.

Q: Now Adidas said anyone who signed with Adidas the fastest 340 times are going to win a Porsche 911, are you going to try to involve yourself in that?

A: (quickly) NO, NO I’m not going to be in the top three.

Have you seen that Adidas was going to do that?

A: Yeah, there are a couple players that I’m training with that have the shoes.

Q: They are going to have a Jaguar, I mean, Cheetah painted on them.
A: Yeah, they got it on the side of them.

Q: When it comes to game day what scheme do you feel like you fit best in, and which zone do you prefer?
A: I think I fit well in both; in the spread up in a two-point stance I get good feet and am very athletic, so I feel like I can move really good in a two-point stance. In my first two years under coach Sherman we ran more of a pro style offense; and in the dirt type and that’s what I started off with so I did both.

Q: Was there a difference in the scheme that you guys ran from when you had mademoiselle to when you had Kenny Hill, did you change the scheme at all their or was it very similar just a different quarterback?
A: It was the same offense, just a different quarterback.

Q: What would you consider your ideal playing weight, where do you think you fit out there, or can that vary based on scheme for you?
A: Well, pretty much whatever the coaches want let me to be at, but I try to go in around 325 or 330. (Note: His combine weight was 330.)

Q: What do you think your biggest asset as an offensive lineman is and what you think your biggest area of improvement is?

A: My biggest improvement would be maintaining blocks longer like on the backers and stuff. Carrying up in sustaining to the second level.  My best asset is my athletic ability.

Q: You played basketball track and football, do you still play basketball or have any other hobbies?
A: I still play basketball, when I have time to.

Q: What’s your biggest skill set in a basketball?
A: Everything, well I can’t shoot that good but everything else I can do pretty good.

Q: What’s one thing about Jarvis, that maybe people don’t know or maybe an interesting fact or about you?A:Very humble

Q: Is a specific player that you try to model your game after?
A: No, not right now I don’t look at stuff like that I just try to play my game

Q: During the pre-draft process, has there been anything strange to you, anything that you haven’t expected, or anything you're looking forward to coming up?
A: No, I had a few people that I went to school with that went into the draft before me so pretty much know everything that’s happening I’m pretty all up on what be expected.

Q: Versatility is key for a lot of teams in the NFL. I saw you played a couple games at left tackle, are there any others positions you play? Can you play both guard spots ?
A: I only played on the list side, but during training I've been working everything both tackles, both guards but no center just tackles and guards.

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Thanks again to Jarvis and his team for the time and the interview. If you would like to hear the whole audio file just click this Link: Jarvis Harison