Safety Erik Harris Stepped Up for Raiders in 2019

Even with all the promising newcomers in the Las Vegas Raiders secondary, one-time undrafted free agent safety Erik Harris again could play a key role this season—although he probably will have to battle for playing time.

Knowing the 30-year-old Harris, that won’t bother him.

The 6-2, 220-pound Harris was an undrafted free agent out of California University in Pennsylvania in 2012, played his first three pro seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League, and once worked in a potato chip factory.

When rookie safety Johnathan Abram was knocked out for the season in the 2019 opener because of injuries, it took until the fourth game before the Raiders realize they have his replacement on the bench.

Harris got the start and made seven tackles before sealing a victory over the Indianapolis Colts with a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the game as the Raiders won, 31-24. He started the rest of the season and made one big play after another.

“You can’t say enough about Erik Harris and the secondary,” Coach Jon Gruden said late in the season.

Harris wound up playing on 87 percent of the Raiders’ defensive snaps, finished the season with 67 tackles, including 57 solos, and made three interceptions that he returned for 145 yards and two touchdowns.

Perhaps Harris’ two best games came four days apart at the beginning of November.

In a Sunday game against the Detroit Lions, he made 11 tackles and broke up a pass in another 31-24 victory over the Detroit Lions.

However, that was nothing compared when he did in a 26-24 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers four days later on Thursday Night Football. Harris intercepted passes by Philip Rivers on the Chargers’ first two series of the game and returned one 56 yards for a touchdown. He had a third interception wiped out by a penalty and broke up three other passes.

“It was pretty exciting,” Harris said after the game. “Special moment, special moment for this team, special moment for my teammates, and credit to them for putting me in a position, and just trusting (me).

“(On his touchdown,) I just saw a really big lineman chasing me to the sideline at first, and then I almost slipped on the sideline. “I just knew I had to beat him, and after that, it was to the end zone.”

All he needed was a chance.

Somehow, even though it took him a while to give Harris that chance, Gruden somehow saw this coming when the Raiders signed him to a free-agent contract after he was waived in 2017 following two seasons with the New Orleans Saints.

“The guy that’s really been stunning for us is Erik Harris,” Gruden said of Harris 2018. minicamp. “I’m doing my research on this guy. Who is this cat? This guy has played really good football for us. … This kid is really rising to the top right now.

“ … He has a chance to be a full-time starter for the Raiders. That’s what I think of him.”

Harris will be ready to go when training camp starts on July 28, battling it out with Abram, Lamarcus Joyner and free-agent signees Damarious Randall and Jeff Heath for playing time at safety.

Even though he admits no one knows exactly what to expect this season because of the Coronavirus pandemic, he and as many as 30 Raiders have been getting ready by working out together this summer in Las Vegas.

“No one really knows yet what’s going happen, or what the protocols are going to look like, and that’s a little crazy,” Harris told The Athletic recently. “And that’s concerning for players with relatives who are likely to get it … but I just want to play football, whether it’s in front of fans or not.

“ … I couldn’t believe we got that many players out there on a consistent basis. And we talked about what’s going on and what was going to happen when training camp came around, and I think everybody is pretty positive about it. But at the same time, there are a lot of unknowns.”

But after what he’s been through to get this far, Harris is ready for anything.

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