Jacory Harris' transformation from rookie to leader began on the team bus following Miami's loss to Cal this past year in the Emerald Bowl. It was the true freshman's second start as Hurricanes quarterback, and while he played a respectable game despite an injured arm, he couldn't shake the fact the ball was stripped away from him at the 9-yard line, which eventually led to Cal's game-winning touchdown.
And Harris apologized for it.
"I felt like I let them down," Harris said.
"I don't like letting people down. That's one thing I've grown up not wanting to do. People shouldn't ever want to let people down. I'm just not that type of person."
His teammates and coaches know that firsthand, which is why there is little concern over Harris' state of mind heading into Saturday's home game against No. 8 Oklahoma.
Through the first two games of a grueling four-game stretch against ranked opponents, Harris looked like an upperclassman. His poise in the pocket in wins over Florida State and Georgia Tech made it look like he was standing on the sidewalk instead of smack in the middle of four-lane traffic. And then this past Saturday came the Mack truck known as Virginia Tech's defense. It hit him hard. Harris was sacked three times, and completed just nine of 25 passes for 150 yards and one interception.
It was easily his -- and his team's -- worst performance to date, as Harris entered Lane Stadium ranked third nationally in passing efficiency (184.07), and had racked up 656 passing yards and six touchdowns (five passing, one rushing).
"My confidence is still high," he said. "I won't let a loss bring me down. It's just a reality check. It lets me know that no one is perfect. I understood that before, and I still understand that after. Things like that are going to happen throughout the season. You're going to have your ups and downs. Unfortunately we came out with a loss, and now we have to move on to Oklahoma. We just have to continue with what got us here, how we were in the Georgia Tech and Florida State games -- having fun."
Harris is a leader in that aspect of Miami football, too. Don't let his game face fool you.
One day he wore one red Converse sneaker and one blue one around campus. Another day he walked around sporting funky 3-D glasses. Once he dressed "like a punk rock deal," as described by coach Randy Shannon. Harris tries to get one of his "crazy haircuts" every other week with a different design. After a home upset in basketball last year, Harris was one of the first in the middle of the court, jumping up and down with the other students. And he still watches cartoons.
"He is calm, cool, collected on the field, and in the locker room, all the players love him," wide receivers coach Aubrey Hill said. "He's kind of a jokester. And it's just him. It's not something he's trying to work too hard on. He has switches, where, 'Hey, it's time to focus.' I've seen him in the huddle where he's got total focus and he's got the total attention of the whole offense. They believe in him. He really works at it as far as mentally and physically, and he's just a natural winner. He just knows how to win. Everyone talks about having it. He has it."
What Harris doesn't have this week is the pressure of a No. 9 ranking or his name circulating in the Heisman chatter to the extent it was a week ago. None of that, though, seems to matter.
"That's not really what's important in my life right now. What's important is being one with my team and winning games with my team, just going out there and having fun."
It's a completely different environment from this past season, when Harris was competing with former quarterback Robert Marve, who has since transferred. With Marve out and first-year offensive coordinator Mark Whipple in, Harris has flourished.
"I'm way more comfortable," he said. "I understand that now there's a lot of things I can do without knowing that, 'Oh, if I make a mistake here, I'm going to get snatched out of the game, so let me play perfect. Let me not take chances on this or not do this or do that.' Last year, that was my main focus -- not making mistakes. That right there makes you make mistakes. Right now, coach Whipple, he lets me go out there and play freely. He trusts me, and I trust him with everything that he teaches me. I'm a lot more comfortable."
He's also the undisputed leader -- something Miami football has been lacking.
"Miami the last several years, they just needed a quarterback to be Miami," Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster said. "They've always had good skill kids; they just have not had consistent quarterback play. That's probably what's been their biggest difference this year from even the previous two or three years. They always had great talent, great skill kids, they just never had that trigger man that makes a difference. That's what they've got right now."
And he's got another chance to prove it on Saturday.
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