THE DETAILS: HARRIS MAKES THE MOST OF EARLY OPPORTUNITY

By Mason Kelley // 12.22.16

By Washington Huskies

December 22^nd, 2016

When Nick Harris arrived at Washington, he didn’t plan on playing right away. The true freshman was simply focused on improvement. He figured he would spend his first year learning from older players, while working in the weight room.

“As I was coming in, I didn’t expect to make an impact,” he said. “I was expecting to redshirt and fill my body out and just get better.”

A three-star recruit coming out of JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., Harris joined the Huskies because he believed the program would give him the opportunity to grow his game.

But he expected that growth to take time.

THE DETAILS: HARRIS MAKES THE MOST OF EARLY OPPORTUNITY

Now, as the fourth-ranked Huskies prepare to play top-ranked Alabama in the Peach Bowl on New Year’s Eve, the maturation process has gone much faster than Harris could have ever expected.

Not only has he played, he found himself in the starting lineup on several occasions, including earning a start at right guard in the Pac-12 championship game.

How did he get to this point?

He watched, he learned and, when given a chance, he made it count.

“As soon as I had the opportunity to make an impact, I just went all for it,” he said. “I played like I had never played before, strong, fast and physical.”

He didn’t plan on first-season success, but he worked for it. He prepared like he was a starter and that investment earned him a chance to play right away. And he hasn’t just played, he’s made an impact, helping the Huskies rush for 264 yards against Colorado as the program grabbed its first conference crown since 2000.

“It’s just been a great process,” Harris said. “I didn’t really expect it.”

When asked about his growth this year, Harris credited his teammates. Whenever he has a question, he knows he can turn to anyone on the offensive line.

“It’s just trusting the guys next to you, knowing they have your back when you might not know something or you might not know how to do something,” he said. “I’m surrounded by a room full of guys who know what they’re doing at all times. They always help me out. And, as soon I know what I need to do, I just do it.”

His ability to learn something and immediately apply that lesson to his game as been a key reason Harris has been able to contribute out of the gate.

“He knows the game really well,” said sophomore left tackle Trey Adams, who knows a little bit about playing as a true freshman. “If you know the game, you know the system, then you can just go out and play. Most guys, they can’t go full speed, because they don’t know what to do. That is what’s helped him the most.”

This season hasn’t gone according to plan for Harris, but he embraced his opportunity. And now that his career is ahead of schedule, he’s enjoying the journey.