Harris brings competitive positivity to defensive line
Second-year Bronco looks forward to making more contributions
Shelby Harris attributes his competitiveness to growing up as a middle child. When he started winning pickup basketball games against his brothers and cousin at their grandmother’s home around the age of 7, he got his first taste of “playing with the big boys.”
But Harris’ internal fire also comes with a wide smile and a contagiously vivacious personality. The Broncos defensive lineman embraces his battles in the trenches with joy, a mentality Denver hopes will help Harris build off his surprisingly productive 2017 season.
“I love it,” Harris said. “Football’s about competing. If you don’t have any competitiveness or you don’t have any competition, people get complacent. It’s perfect. Everyone’s working. … That’s the type of pressure you want.
“You want to be held accountable where you go out there every day and feel like you have to work your tail off every day. Because we have so many talented guys on our D-line, you can’t let up one day, or someone could pass you up.”
Before arriving in Denver prior to last season, Harris’ early career was filled with stops and starts. The 2014 seventh-round draft pick by Oakland played in eight games over his first two seasons but primarily worked with the team’s practice squad. In 2016, he spent training camp with the Jets and three weeks on Dallas’ practice squad.
But when various injuries hit Denver’s defensive line last season, Harris immediately proved his value. He blocked a potential game-tying field goal with five seconds left to preserve a Week 1 victory over the Chargers. He played in all 16 games and start-
ed six times. He ranked second on the team behind superstar Von Miller with 5½ sacks and added 34 tackles and three passes defended.
“Shelby was able to step right in and do his thing,” defensive lineman Domata Peko said. “I love lining up right next to him. … He has a very bright future ahead of him.”
During training camp, the 6foot-2, 290-pound Harris has been lining up at nose tackle — where he’s officially listed as Peko’s backup on Denver’s first depth chart — and defensive end. He has taken first-team reps in recent practices in place of an injured Adam Gotsis and a resting Derek Wolfe. Though defensive players are not allowed to hit the quarterback during these preseason practices, Harris’ knack for knocking down passes has grabbed attention.
Coach Vance Joseph called Harris “consistent” throughout camp, which Harris attributes to position coach Bill Kolar’s focus on versatility and a drill called “hands up!”
“I’m not going to toot my own horn or anything like that,” Harris said when asked to evaluate his camp performance. “I feel like, the D-line in general, everyone’s over here fighting. … We keep each other motivated. We keep each other working.
“I feel like my camp has been going just as well as the rest of the D-line.”
As Denver moves closer to Saturday night’s preseason opener against Minnesota, Harris said his goal is to play mistake-free football with 100 percent effort.
And to maintain his competitive smile.
“I’m always positive, always laughing, always going forward,” Harris said. “Sometimes you need that, because sometimes you get stuck on the last play. I’m never, ever worried about the last play.”