An All-Missouri Valley Football Conference First-Team selection last season, Davontae Harris has caught the eyes of scouts from all 32 NFL teams. A year ago, the Wichita, Kan. native ranked No. 1 in the league in passes defended with 15 (13 PBU, 2 INT), while averaging 1.36 passes defended per game to also top the list.
The 6-foot, 205-pound defensive back recently shared his thoughts on how to defend receivers, dealing with a bad day and the pros and cons of social media.
Learn more about Harris in this week’s Moving the Chains feature.
Senior
Hometown: Wichita, Kan.
High School: Wichita South
How do you go about defending receivers?
Smaller, faster guys you’ve really got to move your feet and mirror them. Bigger guys, I usually do jams on them. It really depends on the receiver, but nine times out of 10 I like to play physical.
When did you really begin to focus on football as your main sport?
I played basketball until my sophomore year of high school. I moved to a new school and the coach kept telling my parents that I’d be a pretty good football player and to get me out there. I went out and tried it, fell in love with it and have been at it ever since. I decided at that point to give up basketball and focus on football and track.
If you could be an Olympic athlete, what event would you compete in?
The 100-meter. I ran track in high school, and it’s a really fun event to be a part of.
What was your favorite family vacation?
My senior year my parents took us to the Bahamas.
If you’re having a really bad day is there something you do to pick yourself up?
I usually go in my room, turn on music and try to relax.
Who was your favorite athlete growing up?
Barry Sanders because he’s from Wichita.
Did that make you a Detroit Lions fan?
Everyone in Wichita is a huge Chiefs fan. My uncle, who I grew up around, is a Chiefs fan. It just grew on me.
So, did you have Barry Sanders and Kansas City Chiefs jerseys growing up?
No, actually I had a bunch of basketball jerseys. When I got to middle school, I got an old Michael Vick jersey, but other than that I had basketball jerseys. I had an Allen Iverson jersey.
What is the greatest invention of all-time?
The internet
What is good and bad about social media?
It allows you to reach out to people and have a voice. What I don’t like about it people put way too much of their lives into it. They put emphasis into something that really isn’t that important.
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