‘It’s like we’re robots’: 4-star Harris twins share same drive for football success
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. (BVM) — As third graders, Andrew and Michael Harris experienced the American lifestyle for the very first time.
In search of a better life, the Harris family moved to the United States from Jamaica. There was a bit of shellshock when they saw all that money could buy.
“I started seeing houses that I ain’t ever seen in Jamaica,” Michael said.
Outside of luxury, it would take adjusting to American aspects such as accents, climate differences, city infrastructures and even sports.
“I thought football was soccer,” Michael said. “My coach told me, ‘This is a football.’ I thought we were supposed to kick the ball.”
Once they learned the rules of the game, the twins quickly fell in love with it. Between the ferocity and physicality mixed with the small intricacies on every play, they knew they wanted to play for a long time.
As they have gotten older, it looks like they will get the chance to.
The brothers have emerged as a force for the Lake Brantley High School defense, earning attention from college programs all across the country.
Andrew ranks as the No. 95 player in the country, while Michael ranks No. 134. Both are rated as four-star linebacker recruits for the Class of 2023, according to 247Sports.
When the scouts show up to watch them on Friday nights, their telepathic connection is evident.
“If I miss a tackle, I 100% know for a fact that Andrew is gonna be there to make the play,” Michael said. “If he misses a play, I know I’m gonna make the play myself.”
“We’re basically the same person,” Andrew said. “We run the same, we hit the same, we talk the same, we read the same. It’s like we’re robots on the field if you really think about it.”
They also have the same competitive edge, making a friendly game of Madden maybe not so friendly. However, this carries over to their training, always wanting to outperform the other
“If you lose in the weight room, you’ve got to get better,” Andrew said.
This attitude may be one of the biggest reasons why they will get the chance to play at the next level, where they hope to continue doing it together.
“If a college is gonna offer me, they gotta offer my brother,” Michael said. “I ain’t going nowhere without him.”
As they navigate through the world of recruiting, the twins will try to find the school that fits them best, preferably one with a family-like atmosphere.
While some may overlook the remainder of their high school career and cruise to college ball, this is not the case for the Harris brothers, as they hope to get a championship for the Patriot program before all is said and done.
“I want to put Lake Brantley on the map,” Michael said. “I want to make sure that newcomers and freshmen know that it’s about the effort you put into the game. The game will teach you a lot of stuff.”
Beyond their time at Lake Brantley, they plan on playing as far as the game will take them, indulging in the same American lifestyle that they were once awed by.
“I want to buy my mom a house,” Andrew said. “I just want to make my mom proud and my family proud.”
