Lifting body and soul
Defensive end Harris says he has moved on from last year’s ‘dark place’
Prayer lends Dolphins lineman new outlook for second year.
DAVIE — Dolphins defensive end Charles Harris, last year’s first-round pick, didn’t like what he became as a rookie. So instead of changing his diet or workout routine, he followed a gameplan that’s worked for him previously — prayer and the Bible.
Harris, who had 2.0 sacks, 19 tackles and one fumble recovery last season, said he prayed during the offseason for the “wisdom of Solomon” to become a better person and football player. He thinks it’s working so far.
“Everything I did mentally,” he said after Tuesday’s second day of training camp, “helped me out physically.”
Harris, noticeably more upbeat through two days of training camp than he was as a rookie, admitted there’s been a significant change in his life. Harris said he had difficulty last year with a “new environment, adjusting to having wealth, all that kind of stuff (and) not knowing how to deal with it.” But he said he now feels blessed.
“I was in a dark place last year, for sure,” he said. “As a rookie I was in a dark place. But now I’m cool. Like I said I understand grace, I understand that everything that happened the way it was was to better me, my family and everything like that. And I understand everything I do on the field (and) off the field affects everybody around me.”
Harris, who talked more about prayer than Christianity, said he constantly prayed because he thought once he stopped his prayers might not be answered.
“So this offseason I just prayed a lot,” he
“I asked God for Solomonlike wisdom and before you know it every time I read the Word I’d learn something new.”
Charles Harris
said. “Prayed about my lifestyle, prayed about things off the field, and before you know it I had revelations, asked God for Solomon-like wisdom and he blessed me with it. And since then I’ve just … been waking up with grace every single day, taking it one day at a time, responding to life better.
“No matter what happens, everything is good.”
Harris, the No. 22 pick out of Missouri, isn’t a starter and probably won’t be at any point this season. That’s because veteran starters Cameron Wake and Robert Quinn both have Pro Bowl pedigrees. But the Dolphins are looking to Harris to become a key to the pass-rushing rotation alongside Andre Branch and William Hayes.
Coach Adam Gase said the Dolphins weren’t focusing on Harris’ sacks numbers last season. Gase said as long as he was applying pressure to the quarterback that was OK. But that didn’t stop the questions about sacks directed toward Harris, which he admitted were irritating.
“I think that was just a constant battle reminding him, ‘This is what we’re expecting from you,’” Gase said.
The calming words from Gase only went so far. Deep down, Harris knew he wasn’t living up to his end of the deal.
“Last year I was just checking boxes every day,” he said. “I came in, I’d punch in, I’d punch out. But this year it’s like I love it.
“I love it because I understand what it means to use my work and use it as my worship.”
Harris, who is from the Kansas City area, said last year’s Christmas Eve game at Kansas City was a turning point.
Harris entered the game with a hip injury and exited the game with a thigh injury. But he also started, and recorded a sack in the process.
“People don’t understand what happened before that game,” Harris said somewhat cryptically. “Only the coaches and everybody here knows what happened before that game. But everything that happened before that game and happened in the game and happened at the end of that game with me getting hurt was just a wakeup call.
“I feel that’s the one game I look at and I reflect back on all the time.”
That reflection went deeper off the field, which is where Harris didn’t like what he’d become. So he corrected that during the offseason by re-connecting with old friends and attending charitable events both at home and in other parts of the nation.
“I feel like I was a dead seed last year, not being able to give back while I was in season,” Harris said. “I was too busy. That’s the big thing about me. I can’t take too much without giving back. That was my opportunity to really give back to my city, give back to my community.”
Harris said he’s glad things are going in the right direction. And he credits his routine of prayer.
“All I know is I asked God for Solomon-like wisdom and before you know it every time I read the Word I’d learn something new,” he said. “Every time I’m in the community talking about faith, I learn something new, and it’s something I’m hungry for.
“So I’ve been feeding my spirit lately.”
As for his on-field contribution, Harris said good things could happen if he combines what he learns from his elders — Wake and Quinn.
“I feel like I can combine both of them and be one of the greatest,” he said.
In the meantime, he’ll continue his prayer and work on his game.
“I’ve got to take it into camp,” Harris said of his new attitude. “That’s what I’ve been doing here lately is just working as hard as I can during camp. I know it’s all going to pay off. Like I said, I’m sowing seeds. I’m just waiting on the harvest.”