FAYETTEVILLE — Monte Harrison is closer in age to his position coach at the University of Arkansas than to most of his teammates.
Razorback receivers coach Ronnie Fouch is 35, six years older than Harrison, who turned 29 on Aug. 10.
Ten years after Harrison signed a scholarship with Nebraska in 2014 as a senior at Lee’s Summit (Mo.) West High School, he’ll finally get his chance to play college football when the Razorbacks open their season against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Thursday at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
Harrison, a true freshman in eligibility, spent the last decade playing professional baseball in the Milwaukee Brewers, Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Angels organizations.
In September, when Harrison’s second stint with the Brewers ended with his release, he decided to give college football a try.
Arkansas welcomed Harrison, 6-3 and 228 pounds, as a walk-on receiver in May, and he got plenty of praise from coaches and teammates in camp.
“He fits in really well,” offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino said. “I mean, he’s a big, physical, strong guy. Keeps getting better and better every day. His routes are getting more and more disciplined. He catches the ball and guys bounce off him. He’s got a chance to really help us a lot.”
Harrison worked with the first, second and third offenses in the early portions of camp open to the media.
“Monte’s a real good competitor,” senior cornerback Kee’yon Stewart said. “Can’t really tell he’s (29). He does everything right, that our regular receivers do. Just a really good player.”
In the first scrimmage, Harrison caught a 55-yard touchdown pass from redshirt freshman quarterback Malachi Singleton.
“He’s fast, he has really good hands,” Singleton said. “He can make any catch in the book. He runs good routes.
“You can tell he’s a little rusty just coming from baseball, but he’s going to be a really good piece for us this year for sure.”
Senior quarterback Taylen Green said what impresses him most about Harrison is his motor.
“Anything that the coaches ask him to do, he doesn’t say ‘no,’ ” Green said. “He’s out there. He had one of the largest player loads in the scrimmage and that just speaks volumes.
“He said, ‘Bro, I was tired,’ but you couldn’t really tell. He was running full speed, doing all the routes, all the special teams. That’s what really stood out to me.”
Fouch said Harrison has adjusted well from a conditioning standpoint.
“Monte’s been impressive,” Fouch said. “I was unsure, coming from baseball, how in shape he could be and how you handle a full practice, and he’s done a great job.
“A little raw on some technical things, but he’s progressed every day of camp and developed those techniques that he’s missed out on for (several) years. He has the natural talent, the burst, the strength, and the strong hands.”
Redshirt sophomore cornerback Jaheim Singletary said Harrison has been nicknamed “Unc” by his teammates, as in uncle.
“He’s just a good leader,” Singletary said. “He does everything the right way.”
Limbo Parks, a former Arkansas offensive lineman in his 20th season as an assistant coach at Lee’s Summit West, said Harrison starred as a receiver and return specialist for the Titans and also took some direct snaps at quarterback in the Wildcat formation.
As a senior, Harrison had 60 receptions for 1,007 yards and 13 touchdowns, rushed for 198 yards and 12 touchdowns and threw a touchdown pass.
“I lost count of how many punts and kickoffs he returned for touchdowns, but after a while, teams stopped kicking the ball to him,” Parks said. “Derek Howard, our offensive coordinator, had it in his game plan that Monte had to get at least 15 touches.”
Fouch said Harrison has a chance to be part of the receiving rotation.
“He’s definitely wowed us on a couple of plays,” Fouch said. “He can go up and high point the ball. He can play through contact from a defender and really use his power in the run game as well.”
The Brewers picked Harrison, a center fielder, in the second round of the MLB Draft at No. 50 overall and he accepted a $1.8 million signing bonus that was $700,000 over his slot position.
Harrison played 50 games in the major leagues for the Marlins and Angels and batted .176 with 2 home runs, 6 RBI and 7 stolen bases.
In 770 minor league games, Harrison batted .240 with 90 home runs, 119 doubles, 19 triples, 336 RBI and 210 stolen bases.
“There’s just a different level of maturity,” Fouch said of Harrison’s mindset. “He’s played in the professional league, so he acts like a pro.
“He takes care of his body, he studies, he takes notes. So it’s great for the young guys to learn from him on how to be a pro.”
Parks said Harrison returns frequently to Lee’s Summit West to talk to the students and staff.
“Monte is a legend here,” Parks said. “He’s a freak athlete and could have signed a college scholarship to play baseball, basketball or football.
“But the coaches at Lee Summit West, we all know he’s a football player first, OK? We knew that back in the day.
“The only reason he went to play baseball is because they gave him 1.8 million dollars. But he’s a football player, and he’s going to show that at Arkansas.”
Parks said Harrison also considered Nebraska and Tennessee, where his former high school teammate, Kevin Pendleton, is a graduate assistant coach.
“Arkansas is close to home here in Kansas City, and Monte just felt like it was the best fit,” Parks said. “I know from talking to him he’s enjoying being there.
“He hasn’t played football in so long that he’s still getting his feet under him, but he’s going to out-work somebody and get on the field.”
When Harrison had his birthday two weeks ago, Coach Sam Pittman brought him up in front of the whole team. Pittman, 62, joked that he and Petrino, 63, were the only people in the room older than Harrison.
“Monte’s obviously got a lot of wisdom and experience,” senior receiver Issac TeSlaa said. “So we’ve been listening to him and the different advice he’s got.”
Junior receiver Jaedon Wilson said Harrison has fit in well with his younger teammates.
“We know there’s a big age gap there, but we treat him like he’s one of us,” Wilson said. “So he’s just one of the guys.”
Petrino said it’s impressive Harrison decided to give college football a shot.
“I think he’s been very humble and been good for everyone else to be around, because you look at a guy that’s been to the major leagues, been out there in the show, and now he’s in here grinding with us,” Petrino said. “Getting sore and understanding what it’s like, just like everybody else.
“He does his leadership with players on his own, kind of one-on-one. Very quiet in practice, but goes extremely hard. Everybody respects the way he works.”
University of Arkansas wide receiver Monte Harrison, a 29-year-old walk-on who’s a freshman in eligibility, has fit in the Razorbacks’s offense “really well,” according to offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino. “He’s a big, physical, strong guy. Keeps getting better and better every day. His routes are getting more and more disciplined. He catches the ball and guys bounce off him. He’s got a chance to really help us a lot,” Petrino said. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)
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Publish date : 2024-08-23 20:23:00
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