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Ian Book discusses playing in high school 7-on-7 tournament with Najee Harris: ‘By far the best player I’ve played with at that time’
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book is certainly familiar with Alabama running back Najee Harris.
It’s not just based on what the senior running back has done in the Crimson Tide offense since arriving in Tuscaloosa. The 2 go back a little further than that, as high school recruits out of California: Harris at Antioch, about 45 miles from San Francisco; and Book at Oak Ridge, 90 minutes away in suburban Sacramento.
The pair first met as teammates at a 7-on-7 tournament in Los Angeles where it was evident that Harris was a star in the making.
“[T]he plan was if we were ever down, you just throw it up and Najee would go catch it. He was playing receiver for us. And he did that. That’s how we were able to win some games. And he was by far the best player I’ve played with at that time. There’s no doubt. And he is still one of them for sure.”
Fast forward to 2020, and Book and Harris are set to meet again, this time as opponents in Alabama and Notre Dame’s national semifinal matchup in Arlington, Texas, on Friday. And after the season’s over for the Tide—whether it’s in a loss to the Irish or after the national championship game in Miami Gardens—we clearly will not have seen the last of Harris.
“He’ll be playing a lot of football in the future as well,” Book said. “And our defense has got to step up. It’s a great challenge for us. I think our guys are excited for it.”
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
