WATCH: Damien Harris turns on beast move vs. Jets
New England Patriots running back Damien Harris did not even need a huge hole. The former Alabama running back broke tackle after tackle, fighting every inch of the way to a 26-yard touchdown against the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon.
In his third-season in the league, Harris took a handoff on up the middle from Mac Jones on 2nd-and-1 inside the Jets 30-yard line and trucked through a load of defenders. The score marked his first of the year and gave the Patriots a 19-3 lead.
Harris put on a strong display in the opening week of the NFL season against the Miami Dolphins, rushing for 100 yards on 23 carries in the loss. The Patriots drafted the running back in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
After breaking his finger last September, he was activated off the IR in early October. Harris then started 10 games for the Patriots, rushing for 691 yards on 137 carries and two touchdowns. He also had five catches for 52 yards.
“I think Damien’s a player that improved a lot from year one to year two,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick told reporters back in late July. “This year, he’s in a little different role. Now he has an opportunity to compete for a lead spot and so he has embraced that. He’s worked hard. He’s been here since the day after the season was over. He has worked as hard as anyone has in the offseason. I’m sure that’ll help his preparation.
“Heading into this camp, we’ll see how he does. He’s worked extremely hard. He’s a very dedicated player. I’ve been impressed by the commitment he has shown.”
Damien Harris Alabama career
The backup to Derrick Henry as a true freshman in 2015, he still earned 46 carries and a touchdown. He then beat out Bo Scarbrough for the starting job in the 2016 season, going on to piece together a a 1,000-plus yard season, rushing for two touchdowns on 145 touches and an average of 7.2 yards per carry.
He then hit 1,000 yards for a second-consecutive season in 2017, finding more success in the red zone with 11 touchdowns and averaging over 7 yards per carry again.
Harris’ production took a dip as a senior, finishing short of 900 yards. He left Alabama with 3,070 career rushing yards, though.