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NFL's Harris shares story with Hanover community


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Erik Harris' dream of making it to the NFL was never about the pride of playing professional football at the highest level.

It was about the platform that comes with it.

That was one of the messages the 2008 New Oxford graduate tried to get across while sharing his story in front of more than 50 people, mostly children, on Wednesday night. He spoke at the Hanover Area YMCA, where he still owns a membership and works out at on a regular basis.

It was his first opportunity to utilize that platform since signing his first NFL contract, a deal with the New Orleans Saints as a defensive back, in February. Every kid who arrived received a laminated, signed photo of Harris in uniform with the words "It's possible" in bold at the top.

“The older I got, the more I wanted to have a moment like this," said Harris, who added he had never spoken in front of such a large group before. "But I'm still kind of nervous. It's a small area and people kind of know you, and it is a big deal.”

With many family members in the audience, Harris shared his story starting with growing up without a father in Baltimore. He moved to Pennsylvania when he was in the fifth grade and, despite getting letters from major college football programs while playing for the New Oxford Colonials in high school, got his only opportunity to play college football at California University of Pennsylvania.

He shared stories of being the "class clown" in high school and how that negatively impacted his grades, which hindered him from earning a major college scholarship.

And he detailed his journey from starting his college career as a preferred walk-on to earning a scholarship and making the dean's list, to playing three years in the Canadian Football League and eventually earning his first NFL contract.

All the stories illustrated his positive attitude towards change and his dedication to achieving his goals.

“I learned that it’s really important that if we have a goal that we set those goals and think about those goals everyday," Gettysburg High School athlete David Buxton said after listening to Harris. "We should make those goals known even though people may tell us what’s not possible.”

After sharing his story for about 30 minutes, Harris spent more than 45 minutes answering a wide variety of questions from the young - and older - members of his audience, including "have you ever made a one-handed catch?" and "why didn't the Ravens call you?"

He also spent time speaking to and signing autographs for children before his speech.

“It’s funny because I was that kid," Harris said. "I was that kid who looked to other guys, to other pros, I watched them, watched how they moved and how they interacted with those kids. It’s very humbling.”

Afterwards, Hanover Area YMCA Sports and Personal Training Director Dana Alexander asked all the members of Harris' family in the audience to stand so that all of the children could see the importance of a strong support system. And she promised to bring him back again next year, with an even bigger crowd.

“We want to reach our community," Alexander said. "You hear so many negative things about drugs and all the bad things kids are into. The YMCA is for everyone in our community and being able to bring him in here — someone who works out here and is going to the NFL — everyday he’s in here fighting for that. Same as all these kids who are all fighting.”

Harris reports for his offseason workouts with the Saints on April 18.