Coming from the small state of Delaware, Orien Harris could be classified as a dreamer. With not much going on around him as opposed to other places in the world, Harris had to really pour his heart into things to see them come to fruition. Currently a Defensive Tackle for the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals, Harris’ initial love for football was something that came out of pure coincidence just as much as it was stemmed from true love.

“Actually my brother kind of got me into football when I was in the sixth grade,” a reflective Harris recently told 24 Hour Hip Hop. “I went to one of his tryouts and the coach ended up approaching me and asked me if I ever played football. I told him no but that I would give it a try and it started from there.”
 
A self admitted wild kid who used to run around and tear up the house, the violent nature of football was something that Harris not only recognized but also embraced. The daily grind of everything that football offered seemed to be right up Harris’ alley.
 
“I just loved the physical contact,” Harris recalls. “When I first went out there I really felt like busting everyone’s head in and it came natural to me. My team wasn’t that good back then but I still went out there and had a lot of fun. After a few games I really fell in love with it.”
 
Harris would stick with football well into his high school years, where became a standout student athlete at Newark High School, eventually helping lead the team to multiple state championships along with his older brother Kwame. That initial success gave Harris not only a great sense of satisfaction, but also a deep understanding of where his involvement in the sport could lead.
 
“To come from a small state and help lead our team to that kind of level of success was pretty special,” Harris says fondly. “That really made me think that I could use football as a way of going to college and furthering my life. Instead of a dream it became a reality. It finally hit me that I could really do something with my life through football.”
 
After graduating Newark High, Harris would go on to realize a childhood dream of his as he went to college to play for the Miami Hurricanes, a team he had forever followed. While in college Harris would help lead to the team to numerous Bowl Game appearances while finishing his career with 11 sacks and 159 tackles. 

“Playing in the national championship was a great memory,” says Harris. “We also had a very good class and just had a lot of great talent around us. We kind of grew up together in some ways. Playing and winning all these games and doing the things that you only dreamed about as a little kid was amazing.”
 
Although still relatively fresh into his NFL career, Harris looks back at those college days with a fond remembrance. While much success was a natural during his time with Miami, Harris’ best memories are not of the games themselves but the people who were around him.

“The teammates you have in college is what makes everything worth it, whether you win or lose,” says Harris looking back. “The brotherhood and camaraderie of it all was something special to me and I was fortunate to meet some good people who I consider life long friends. That was the best part for me. We really experienced a lot together, from traveling all over to going out together, to just growing up and becoming men together. It was really special to me.”

Harris would go on to be selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 133rd pick in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL draft. Immediately upon entering the league, Harris saw himself setting foot into a whole new world.

“It was different because instead of just depending on your physical ability you had to depend on your mental ability,” Harris says of the harsh nature of the league. “You really have to prove your mental toughness from the beginning of your career and you had to be more of a man. There is also a lot more freedom that comes with playing in the NFL and you have to make smart decisions no matter what you do. You really have to grow up fast and decide what’s important and what is not important to your career.”
 
Elaborating further, it’s clearly evident how much respect Harris has for the competitiveness that comes from playing in the league. The obstacles that come with playing in the NFL are in many forms, whether they are your weekly opponents trying to defeat you or even your own teammates trying to take away your job.
 
“Pretty much every year you have to reinvent yourself,” Harris states. “You can’t count on the same passions and desires you had a year before to carry you into the next season because things are always changing. You have to prepare yourself and make sure you put your best foot forward. Each year that goes by comes with more people who are trying to do what I am doing and trying to take my place.”
 
The personalities and talents on each and every team is definitely contrasting. Being put in such high pressure situations can definitely reveal the good and bad of even the most hardened individual’s characteristics, but Harris himself tries to stay mellow before anything else.

“I’m usually pretty laid back in the locker room,” Harris states. “Everyone has their different personalities and it can
be pretty intense but I am at my best when I keep a clear head. I try not to get too caught up in everything. I might talk a little bit and laugh here and there but for the most part I just try y to go with the flow. I am at my best when I am having fun and I never forget that. At the end of the day it’s just a childhood game.”

Throughout his career Harris hasn’t found the stability that other stars have been accustomed to. Now entering his fourth season, he finds himself also playing for his fourth team and admits that you can’t get caught looking to far ahead in this league. Nothing is guaranteed and it’s obvious that Harris is just happy to be where he is for the moment.

“Well I’m still taking it day by day,” a humble Harris claims. “Just the fact that I am still here means I am doing something right. I do always try to take care of my body as best I can and I try to prepare myself mentally for all aspects of the game. You have to have that constant motivation and always be ready to hit that grindstone. If you work hard and take things day by day you will lead yourself somewhere.  I’ve learned that taking care of the little things is just as important as the big things.”

Last year the Bengals had a disappointing season, marked notably by Chad Johnson’s theatrics, a season ending injury to Carson Palmer, and the team’s unfortunate 4-11-1 record. While their still may be much drama and confusion from being a part of the Bengals’ organization, Harris stills sees light at the end of the tunnel and can’t wait to start the upcoming season.

“I feel really good coming into this year,” Harris states. “We have a very young team and we really bonded last season. I have some high expectations for this season and I’m excited for the opportunity to show what we are made of. We also had a pretty good defense last year; I think we were ranked 12th in the NFL, and we are looking to improve on that. Everything is in our hands and we can make this a great year, I know that.”
 
While his anticipation for the 2009 season is as high as it can be, Harris is still months away from breaking training camp and will be the first to tell you that he is a completely different person during the off-season. Harris admits that he tries to stay in shape religiously but also reveals that he likes to take time out for himself and has a knack for traveling because it makes him appreciate first hand how other people in the world live their lives.

A self described homebody, Harris doesn’t go out partying late at night and instead can be found at his Miami home relaxing, reading, or even watching television. When digging deeper into his personality Harris claims that the love he has for his family is what keeps him motivated each year. Harris can currently be found listening to Rick Ross’ latest release, ‘Deeper Than Rap’, and claims that if he had to pick a luxury car in the future he would be tempted to choose a Porsche Truck, a sleek Maserati, or an old school Monte Carlo.

Perhaps Harris’ laid back nature is part of his upbringing, as he grew up in a place were life was a little more reserved and easygoing. In moving to Miami later in his life, Harris admits that the Florida city is something that was both completely different to him as well as being very refreshing.
 
“When I got down here it was a whole different culture and a little bit faster life compared to where I was from,” says Harris. “I definitely think it’s a big melting pot down here and I love the culture of the city. There are so many different kinds of people living together but everybody seems to get along with everyone.”
 
As he goes about his day to day life, Harris’ main focus seems to be for the upcoming NFL season. While he is living a life that many would love to live, Harris himself is grounded in his approach and hasn’t lost the appreciation for everything that comes with his duties.
 
“Sometimes it does seem surreal but usually I am too busy to get caught up in my past accomplishments or things like that,” Harris says with a down to earth attitude. “I do have to pinch myself sometimes but there are moments when it hits me that I am really here and I have really made it this far. It’s like I am living a dream in a lot of ways.”
 
At 25 years old, Harris still has a lot of good years left in him, presumably. He very well could be in the league for a good while but Harris speaks like a man who doesn’t have any time to waist.


 
“In this league you don’t have a long time to play so I definitely want to play for as long as I can and get as much as I can out of my career,” Harris says with positive outlook. “I’d love to turn this team around and start making the playoffs and getting this team to some Super Bowls. I really want to experience the other side of the game. Eventually I would like to branch off and get into other business aspects of life but I can’t imagine myself doing anything but football for a while.”

In talking to Orien Harris, many things stand out. At the end of the day he is just another man trying to make it in this world and he hasn’t lost the same qualities that have helped get him to this point in his life. While his gig in the NFL may seem like a dream job to others, Harris instead looks at is as more of an opportunity that he can’t let slip out his fingers. It has helped Orien Harris become not only a man in this world, but more importantly, a man with a purpose.
 
“Playing in the league has made me grow up and put things into perspective. You can’t really be a kid your whole life and the NFL made me realize that. You have the opportunity to take care of your family through doing this and you definitely have to step up tot hat plate. It’s given me an understanding of who I am and what I’m here to do in this life.”

(Note: After this interview was conducted, Orien Harris was traded to the St. Louis Rams in exchange for Running Back Brian Leonard. 24 Hour Hip Hop wishes Harris the best of luck this coming season and we will be keeping tabs on him throughout his new venture with the St. Louis Rams…)

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