Arlen Harris Jr. comes from football family and is ready to continue legacy at Stanford
ST. PETERS, Mo. (BVM) – Arlen Harris Jr. finished with one of the best high school football careers that anyone has ever had at Lutheran St. Charles. While impressive, it was not a surprise for most given his roots in the sport.
Harris Jr. claims he began playing football as soon as he could walk, and that’s in part due to his dad’s background in the sport. Arlen Harris Sr. went undrafted out of Hofstra, but ended up having a five-year NFL career, spending his first three pro seasons with the Rams, and later joining the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons.
After his playing career, Harris Sr. became a coach and has been able to teach his son the game at every level, including as his head coach at Lutheran St. Charles.
“Having my dad as my coach has been everything to me,” Harris Jr. said. “He’s always been my head coach or always been that close for me on the field. My dad has given me all the gems and all the little key things that he used to get to the level that he was at. It’s just been a true blessing to have that in my family as well as just having that football background in my bloodline. I’m very thankful to have my father and have that mind to pick at so I can ultimately become the best football player that I can be.”
The football bloodlines in Harris Jr.’s family do not stop there, however. His cousin, Yasir Durant, is an offensive guard for the New England Patriots, and was formerly an undrafted free agent signed by the Kansas City Chiefs after a strong collegiate career at the University of Missouri.
“Seeing my cousin be at that level as well is a big motivation for me,” Harris Jr. said. “We are very blessed people to have that in our bloodline. Just seeing him at that level makes me want to work even harder just so our family can have two guys in the NFL. Then my brother can see me and hopefully be inspired by me and we’ll have three. It’ll just pave its way and make a legacy for our family.”
Harris Jr.’s younger brother, Ayden, is currently a sophomore at Lutheran St. Charles who also has pro aspirations for the future. This season, the brothers got to play together for the Cougars and Harris Jr. has begun serving as a mentor for his brother just as his father and cousin have been for him.
“Playing alongside my brother is just a true blessing,” Harris Jr. said. “We’ve always played together since we were younger and we’ve always had so much fun with that. Ayden has grown up and been my best friend forever … God willing, maybe we’ll see each other in college or the NFL.
“I make sure I can build him up as much as I can and give him all the gems and tips that my father gave me and the things that I’ve learned so he can have the blueprint.”
Growing up, the boys played for their father with the O’Fallon Renegades. For Harris Jr., his potential was realized right away, but so was tasting success, as his team won a handful of championships at the youth level.
Although he entered a high school in Lutheran St. Charles that wasn’t seen as a football powerhouse, Harris Jr. was determined to translate his past success to his new school. Gaining a strong mental state while on the gridiron as well as terrific field vision, the transition to high school ball for the running back was seamless.
As a freshman, Harris Jr. ran for over 1,000 yards. The next season, he took his game to an even higher level, rushing for nearly 1,800 yards and 32 touchdowns.
“Freshman and sophomore years were big years for me as a player, us as a team and as a community and school,” Harris Jr. said. “We’re not known for football at all … it was never the culture here.
“I feel like my transition from eighth grade to freshman year was really good. I just pushed myself enough to know that this isn’t little league anymore, this is big boy ball … I really enjoyed that journey.”
Playing in just eight games as a junior, Harris Jr. continued to impress, being named a Class 2 first team all-state player despite dealing with a high-ankle sprain. The Cougars may not have reached their championship aspirations for the season, but continuing to build a team culture, there was no doubt something special was brewing within the program.
That set the stage for Harris Jr.’s senior campaign this past fall. Going into it, the running back knew this team had a chance, and they were determined to do whatever it took for a state title.
“We were coming for everything and everybody,” Harris Jr. said. “We weren’t hiding from any big teams, any small teams, we just wanted to win. We were coming for something more. This school had never won a state championship, we wanted to make history.”
The Cougars rolled through the fall season, posting an 11-2 record on their way to a state final matchup with Lamar. In a close contest throughout, the Cougars ended up writing a storybook ending to their season, and Harris Jr. ended his career on the perfect note.
With just six seconds left in the game, Harris Jr. scored a two-yard touchdown that gave Lutheran St. Charles a 33-27 lead and the win, securing the program’s first state title.
@LuHiActivities are your Class 2 State Champions #ShowMeOnMSHSAAtv pic.twitter.com/xevT74xHOB
— MSHSAA-TV Championships (@MshsaaTV) December 3, 2021
“That whole experience was just overwhelming,” Harris Jr. said. “That was my last game with some of the guys I grew up with since little league. To look at those guys and see how far we had come just made me emotional. And then looking at my dad and my brother, it was the same thing.
“I knew it was going to be a big game, I knew it would come down to that. It was a real big David and Goliath moment. Lamar has great history, going to state for them is almost easy and they expect that. For us, we’ve never been in that position. To go out there and defeat Goliath, it was a true blessing … That’s something that we’ll remember until the day we die.”
Harris Jr. rushed for over 1,600 yards and 39 touchdowns as a senior, capping his high school career with over 6,000 total yards and 110 total touchdowns. He holds program marks in career touchdowns and career rushing yards as well as touchdowns in a single game and single season.
“I look back and I just pray to God,” the running back said. “Our circumstances and how much adversity we’ve been through, it’s just a true blessing. I couldn’t do it myself, I had to trust in God, trust in my dad, my brother, my teammates, the ones that are still here, the ones that I have lost. It’s just as much their record as it is mine.”
While Harris Jr. was an absolute standout on the gridiron at Lutheran St. Charles, he also shined while competing in track, and was just as good in the classroom, earning a 4.0 GPA, becoming an honor society member and being named an academic all-state player three times. It is that work which also led him to his eventual college choice.
The four-star had plenty of college offers that included big-time SEC and Big Ten schools – Iowa, Florida, Mizzou, Michigan and LSU to name a few. Iowa was a close second, but when it came down to it, Harris Jr. decided he wanted to head west and attend Stanford University.
“It came down to the last second and I really, really had to think about it,” Harris Jr. said. “As far as Stanford, I get good football and I get challenged in the books as well. It’s a win-win on both sides.”
The Stanford commit joins a star-studded 2022 class which is ranked 18th nationally and is No. 1 in the Pac-12. As a result, Harris Jr. and the rest of his Cardinal teammates have high expectations as they soon begin their journey together.
— Arlen Harris Jr. (@arlenharrisjr33) December 16, 2021
“I feel like this is probably one of the best classes to come through Stanford,” Harris Jr. mentioned. “We always chat it up with the guys and talk about how this is it, we’re going to do it. I know we can come in there and make a big impact on Stanford. I know Stanford has a real good history of running backs as far as Christian McCaffrey, Bryce Love, all of that … I’m really blessed to be part of that.”
Whether it’s Love, McCaffrey, his idol Eric Dickerson, or his father, Harris Jr. will not stop until he reaches the thing all of those guys have in common: playing in the NFL. It remains the ultimate goal for the running back who has already flashed some serious potential, and by the time he gets there, he’ll look to become one of the best.
“The NFL would be a dream goal,” Harris Jr. said. “I’ve always talked about the NFL since I’ve been young. It’d be a true blessing to get there and I know it’s going to take a lot of relentless work to get there. I’m ready for that, I feel like I’m built for that. I’ve always had that mentality that I’ll do whatever it takes.
“Getting to that level would be awesome. If I get there, I’m not going to be content with just saying for the rest of my life that I went to the NFL. A lot of people can say that. I want to go in and change the game, make an impact. I want to throw my flag in the ground and make sure that my last name can one day rival the sands of time.”
