Alabama RB Damien Harris hopes to be a better all-around runner in 2017
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Though Bo Scarbrough dominated the headlines last year after a strong finish to the season, Damien Harris actually finished the season with the most rushing yards of any Alabama running back.
The sophomore ran for 1,040 yards and two touchdowns in 2016, but was a forgotten man by the time the College Football Playoff started.
Heading into 2017, he may not even be the most famous Harris in the Crimson Tide backfield, as 5-star RB Najee Harris joins the talented running back group.
However, Damien is working hard to ensure that he gets his chance to play this fall. According to 247Sports, Harris said he’s trying to become more of an all-around player and a leader in the locker room:
“Everything, there’s never anything you can’t work on,” Harris said. “Just try to look at working on any aspect of my game. One of the biggest things I’m looking to improve is my leadership, just because I haven’t been in a role where I’ve had to be a leader necessarily.
“Now we got so many young guys, guys like me and Bo, even Josh (Jacobs) who is just going to be a sophomore, we need to be leaders because we got so many younger guys.”
With so many stars in the Crimson Tide backfield, Harris may not have a chance to repeat his 1,000-yard 2016 effort. But, if all goes according to plan for Harris and new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, the Alabama rushing attack as a whole should be even better this fall.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
