PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Najee Harris says he’s back to 100% as he discussed his season before the Steelers face Tampa Bay on Sunday.
Harris said he’s had a steel plate in one of his shoes and they removed it for the first time Wednesday for practice. He says he feels 100% with the foot but said it bothered him for around seven weeks. The second-year tailback said the injury really impacted his development and growth with the offensive line. That is improving and coming along.
At Alabama they don’t have losing streaks, so this is a first for Harris and for a number of other players this year. As offensive captain and a top pick last year, you can sense he feels he needs to set an example of how to work through a 1-4 start.
“Just keep persevering, everybody is fighting their own battles,” Harris said Friday. “Obviously, we are not doing good.
I can understand bad things are going to happen along the way. Nobody wants the bad to happen, but it’s a part of the sport.”
“Me being who I am, the expectations. My mistakes tend to be bigger. I understand that. I face all of it head up, chin up high and get back to practice.”
“Stuff is going to happen it’s part of the sport. I can’t think of one athlete that didn’t struggle at one point. This is our time to get over that adversity right now.”
Harris said it’s been a good week of practice and he’s confident in what he called a ‘great’ offensive coordinator, ‘great’ teammates and ‘great’ game plan for this week against the Bucs.
But 1st it’s fashion
Before he gets on the NFL stage, Harris will be a part of the Steelers charity fashion show Friday night hosted by KDKA-TV’s Bob Pompeani. Not that it was top of mind after the final practice of the week.
“Oh, (darn), you just reminded me of that,” Harris said. “I forgot.”
He was complemented for being a fashion-forward guy. Harris smiled, looked down at his team-issued, sweaty gear and gave a look back as if to say ‘you really think so’?
Minkah Fitzpatrick and Zach Gentry are the co-captains for the Show Friday night at 6 at Stage AE benefitting the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program, Cancer Bridges & the Chuck Noll Foundation.