There's safeties in numbers in the Harris family
Friday, August 29, 2014 | Football, Chris Harry
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- A couple weeks ago, members of the Florida football team used some time between preseason practice and meetings to gather in the south end zone tunnel as highlights of the 1996 national championship season played on a television.
Marcell Harris, a redshirt freshman safety (pictured right), was in the group of smiling Gators.
His father was on the screen.
“He wore [No.] 13, which is why I wear 26,” Harris said. “I'm trying to double him.”
Dad can see it happening.
“People ask me all the time what's the biggest difference between the two of us,” said Mike Harris, a four-year letter-winner for the Gators during one of the most dominant eras in Southeastern Conference history. “Honestly, he was better than me coming out of high school than I was coming out of college.”
If that's the case, then Coach Will Muschamp and his defensive staff should be pleased.
Mike Harris was a 6-foot-1, 192-pound converted linebacker from Gainesville Buchholtz when he arrived on campus in the fall of 1993. A year later -- 20 years ago, in fact -- Harris made his UF debut in the '94 opener against New Mexico, a 70-21 blowout win.
Marcell Harris was two months old at the time.
Now, two decades later, he'll play his first collegiate game Saturday night when the Gators open the 2014 season against Idaho at Florida Field.
“I don't really remember seeing him play here,” said Marcell, whose mother took him to Gator games and pointed daddy out on the field. “There's some pictures of us together back when he played, I think. And I do have some recollection of being in his dorm one time ... but that's about it.” 
Over his four years, Mike Harris (pictured left) started 14 of his 43 games -- including nine as a junior in UF's 1996 national-championship season) and amassed 182 tackles and 12 pass break-ups. The lone interception of his career came in 1995 against Florida State, the day the Gators completed their historic first unbeaten regular season; his Senior Day finale was the epic 32-29 upset of top-ranked FSU to close out the '97 season, arguably the most thrilling game ever at The Swamp.
All told, Mike Harris went 32-3 against SEC opponents.
Not a bad career.
“It's funny how things happen,” said Mike, who has run his own tax and brokerage business for 16 years. “Things are a lot different. We didn't study the game back then like they do now. I know he works hard at that. Football is still about the basics, but the game has evolved so much.”
When Harris played, he rotated in the defensive backfield with the likes of Lawrence Wright, Teako Brown, Shea Showers, Demetric Jackson and Michael Gilmore. The Gators weren't just two deep at safety, but three.
Sort of like now.
Sophomore Keanu Neal is the headline single-high safety. After redshirting in 2013, the 6-1, 208-pound Harris is listed as third backup safety (behind true freshman Duke Dawson and redshirt freshman Nick Washington) and the first backup to junior Brian Poole when the Gators go to their dime coverage.
When the Gators go to a Cover Two scheme, senior Jabari Gorman will be back there. Marcell, though, figures to get a play here and there, not to mention some cracks on special teams.
Hey, that's how his dad started. He was second in special-teams tackles as a red-shirt freshman with 25. A year later, he was fourth on the defense in tackles with 78
“[Safety's] an important position,” said Harris, who chose UF from a lengthy list of suiters that included FSU, Miami, Texas, Auburn and LSU. “You have to get guys lined up, call things out and stay focused.”
His father could have told him that much, but when the two talk football it's usually not X's and O's. Compete. Play hard. That sort of thing.
But now, with the reality of 20 years having passed since his first true romp in The Swamp, Mike may have one more piece of advice for Marcell.
“I'd tell him to have fun,” Mike said. “It goes by fast, so fast. You blink your eye and next thing you know you're a senior.”
A few more blinks, and you're watching your kid wear the orange and blue.
