After three seasons as a dependable weapon for the Caifornia Golden Bears, wide receiver Chris Harper announced in January that he would make himself eligible for the 2015 NFL Draft. In a recent interview for Sports Illustrated's Monday Morning Quarterback, Harper discussed his decision to go pro and the heartbreak of not getting an invite to the NFL Combine.
The Cal product made a "game-time decision" to declare for the draft after seeking advice from family, friends, and mentors including former Cal coach Jeff Tedford and former NFL receiver Keyshawn Johnson. He was fresh off a junior season during which he caught 52 balls for 634 yards and six touchdowns, and this ridiculousness and also this, which is just silly.
...
"I watched [the NFL Combine] since I was a little kid. It was a dream to go," Harper says after a day of training at Proactive in Westlake Village, Calif. "I've just got to keep working hard. I think [not getting an invite is] extra motivation at this point."
Harper was one of 74 underclassmen granted eligibility, down from a record 98 early entrants a year ago. ... In response to the scourge of juniors at its gates, the NFL simplified its advisory committee's response to players' requests for a prospective draft grade. Instead of telling a player he could go between rounds 4 and 7, the committee now writes back that the player "should remain a student-athlete, maturing as a potential pro prospect while continuing his education."
So, naturally, the league got fewer requests. The number dropped from 214 in 2014 to 149 in 2015. Harper figured he might as well not ask.
"I knew I wasn't a first- or second-round pick, and I didn't want to hear them tell me to go back to school," he says.
Still, he is undeterred despite that snub and working hard now to prove himself at upcoming local combines and pro days. He and other NFL prospects are working in a small, tight-knit group with former professional players to improve their skills and run endless drills. Nonetheless, he made the time to talk about the process and his thoughts, including how the Bear Raid offense has helped prepare him for running drills based on the West Coast offense.
We ran a route tree at Cal. We ran the spread offense, so we had all those basic routes that he has us doing out there today. Also in high school, we did the exact same routes. So I'm familiar with them. When I go out there for route training with Chris Thomas and [former high school offensive coordinator] Coach Pep, we kind of work on those things. I like working with Coach Pep a lot, because he gets my footwork right and we do a lot of hand-eye coordination, ball drills and all that. So he keeps me focused on straight football and route running. He gets me better a lot and he's helped me with my routes throughout my whole football career.
Harper also spoke more personally about how his family motivates him and help him keep all this "hard work" in perspective by comparing it to the work being done by people like his fiancée.
She's going through nursing school right now. She has nursing school, then she has to be in the hospital, then she has to go work out and then stay up all night studying. So I keep that in consideration when I'm thinking about my days. I think about other people who are still in school and have other things to do. I take this as kind of light compared to other people. I just grind though it. If I have extra workouts to do, I'm going to do them and get through it. I have all day to rest because we have three workouts, tops.
First and foremost ... my parents [are pushing me]. They've pushed me along the whole way. They've been the best supporters that any kid can ask for. They've given me anything I needed and have always been there for me. They came to all my games in college. They've always watched and never missed a game, whether it be in person or on TV. I give it all to them. My grandpa has been a great supporter too.
Kudos to Harper for being wise enough to keep a reasonable frame of mind about these workouts. We'll certainly miss having him as a weapon and watching him make plays, but wish him the best of luck in the Draft and getting to the professional level.