SB Nation - Victor Harris

Eagles Notes - Macho Harris, Kevin Curtis hurt, & Quintin Mikell

JasonB — Tue, 05 May 2009 13:23:08 -0000

More photos » by Bradley C Bower - AP

7 months ago: Philadelphia Eagles rookie corner back Macho Harris listens to plays being called at the team's the first mini-camp of the season for all rookies and veterans at the team's Nova-Care Complex Friday, May 1, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Bradley C Bower)

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We've already heard the pretty inspiring story of Jeremy Maclin, but as it turns out new Eagles DB Victor "Macho" Harris has a pretty inspiring story of his own.

Harris endured a lifetime’s worth of angst and change as an 18-year-old high school senior. In a span of 10 days he almost lost his house and family to a fire and lost his mother to a brain aneurism on Christmas night.

Harris also was part of a student body at Virginia Tech that had to heal from a deadly shooting spree on campus two years ago, and later that year, dodged 9mm bullets shot into the off-campus apartment he shared with three others.

You wonder how close you should stand to Victor Harris until you hear the very detailed story from him and sync it to the smile, until you shake the hand of the arm decorated with skin grafts and check out the tattoo of "Mama’s Boy” on the biceps.

I highly reccomend you read that entire story and hear what Harris had to say. You can't help but root for the guy.

Kevin Curtis had to have another surgery done to completely fix the sports hernia that he had last year.

"As I started rehabbing, I started having groin issues," Curtis said yesterday. "I was able to play through the season, and I felt pretty decent . . . I didn't want to report back [this spring] still having some issues with this . . . We weren't getting anywhere with it."

You may remember that Curtis had surgery during camp last year and missed a portion of the first half of the season.

Andy Reid made a funny...

Asked Sunday if the acquisitions of Weaver, two offensive linemen (Jason Peters and Stacy Andrews), and a rookie running back (LeSean McCoy) signaled a newfound devotion to the run, the Eagles coach joked: "We're striving to lead the league in rushing this year."

Finally, the Daily News did a very extensive and interesting piece on Quintin Mikell.

Eagles 2009 draft wrap-up

JasonB — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:22:32 -0000

More photos » by H. RUMPH JR - AP

7 months ago: Philadelphia Eagles draft picks wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, left, and running back LeSean McCoy Answers questions from reporters Sunday, April 26, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/H. Rumph, Jr.)

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The 2009 draft is over. While it is the centerpiece of the NFL offseason and a great event... by the time it does end you find yourself very much grateful to see it go. It's two long, long days.

- The Eagles draft pretty much started with the mega trade that sent their #28 overall pick and a 4th rounder to the Bills for pro bowl LT Jason Peters.

- The Eagles first actual draft pick came after they traded up 3 2 spots to grab WR Jeremy Maclin 6'1, 200lbs from Missouri.

- The Eagles shored up a need in the second round with the selection of 5'11, 210lb RB Lesean "Shady" McCoy from Pittsburgh.

- The Eagles then made a series of trades that saw them drop down in the 3rd round and then out of it in a trade with the Saints. They picked up an extra fifth rounder and a third rounder next year in the process.

- The Eagles would then make yet another trade, but this time they netted an actual player by sending two 5th round picks for New England Patriots CB Ellis Hobbs.

- The Eagles would make three picks from #153 to #159 in the fifth round, the first being 6'4 245lb TE Cornelius Ingram from Florida. ESPN's Todd McShay called Ingram the "best pick of the fifth round."

- The first defensive player selected came at #157 overall, 5'11 CB Victor "Macho" Harris from Virgina Tech.

- At #159 the Eagles grabbed 6-6, 330lb OT Fenuki Tupou from the Oregon Ducks.

- The Eagles then traded their 164th overall pick to the Saints for a seventh rounder this year and the Saints fifth rounder next year.

- With the 194th overall pick the Eagles took their fourth skill position player, 6-1 WR Brandon Gibson from Washington State.

- In the 7th round the Eagles would turn their attention back to the offensive line with the selection of OG Paul Fanaika from Arizona St.

- The Eagles final pick would also be the second defensive player taken, 223lb OLB Moises Fokou.

With the 157th overall pick the Eagles select CB Victor Harris

JasonB — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 19:07:56 -0000

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With the 21st pick in the 5th round the Eagles take corner back Victor "Macho" Harris from Virgina Tech.

Harris is 5'11 198 and served as Virgina Tech's punt returner. He also was used as a wide receiver and even halfback at times in 2007. The NFL draft guide said this about Harris.

First and foremost he's a shutdown cornerback. To that end, he and Wake Forest's Alphonso Smith both did their best to rewrite the ACC record books during their college careers. Both players tied the ACC career record by returning four INTs for touchdowns. Harris gained 278 yards on his 15 INTs(3rd most in school history), which ranks third in league history. Smith managed to generate 254 yards, finishing 7th on the ACC chart.

Mocking the Draft had Harris projected as 2nd round pick.

6'0, 194 pounds | Virginia Tech | Cornerback

Strengths: The first thing to notice about Harris is his plus height for the position. He can matchup with big receivers and is a factor on jump balls. Prefers to play off the receiver, which could make him a better fit in the cover-2. Closes quickly on the ball. Has very good hands, finishing his career with 15 interceptions and 22 passes broken up. Has a cocky, almost egotistical, quality to him. Has added value as a return man.

Weaknesses: Harris struggles at times when he has to line up directly against a receiver. He spent most of his career playing deep off. In man coverage, Harris has some trouble with quick receivers when he doesn't have a cushion. Poor tackler with little technique. Tackles with his helmet down, which allows opponents to bounce off him. Needs to get stronger.

Final word: Harris played in Tech's zone scheme where he was something of a cornerback/safety hybrid. Unless he gets drafted by a cover-2 team, Harris could be moved to free safety. Somewhat similar in play to former Hokie Jimmy Williams, who has had his shortcomings in the NFL. A starter for three years. Submitted his name to the NFL Draft Advisory committee following the 2007 season and received a third-round grade.

And with the #55 Pick in the Arrowhead Pride Community Mock Draft, the Atlanta Falcons Select...

Chris Thorman — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:46:04 -0000

Virginia Tech CB Victor Harris

RedNose with the pick...

With a lot of good offensive talent, Thomas Dimitroff and Mike Smith have to think very hard about passing on some good prospects in favor of filling their glaring defensive wholes. By addressing linebacker in the 1st round and in free agency with veteran backer Mike Peterson, the Falcons have one component of their defense fortified. Now they need at least 1 bulky DT and 1 heady cornerback. Even though the decision the need at DT is probably greatest, there is no one the Falcons want to select with their 2nd rounder, so that will have to wait until the 3rd, 4th, or 5th round where their might be better value.

That leaves 3 prospects to mull over. A need at CB, and a couple of offensive game changers are the choices. The Falcons are not yet good enough on offense to start dismissing impact players even at positions where need may not be great. That said, as sexy as the offensive choices are, there is a corner that the Falcons have their sights on that they just cannot stand to let fall to another team. So the selection is Victor "Macho" Harris.

Here is the scouting report from NFLDraftscout:

"Positives: Natural playmaker. … Versatile athlete with the skills to help at multiple positions. … Alert zone defender. … Reads the quarterback's eyes and closes quickly on the ball. … Reliable open-field tackler who flashes explosiveness as a hitter. … Willing to dirty his jersey against the run. … Good lateral agility to elude blockers and will come up aggressively in run support. … At least adequate hip flexibility and straight-line speed. … Natural hands for the interception. … Can track the ball over either shoulder. … Good leaping ability and times his leaps well. … Can highpoint passes and shows the strong hands to snatch passes out of the air. … Reliable hands as a returner. … Good vision and burst as a returner.

Negatives: Might lack the hip flexibility and straight-line speed for man coverage. … Inconsistent press technique and lacks the burst to keep up with faster receivers if he misses his initial punch. … Likes to go for the intimidating hit and will occasionally fail to wrap up properly when dropping his shoulder into the ballcarrier. … Plays a flashy, emotional game and can get carried away on the field, drawing penalties."

Sounds a lot like a certain former teammate of his that we're all now very familiar with. If he plays as well as Brandon Flowers has so far, he'll get over the "lack of straight-line speed" critique.

Round 1 is here.

Previous pick: C Eric Wood

Read more: Scouting Report (Mocking the Draft)

On the clock: Miami Dolphins (shraggyj) and Baltimore Ravens (Ben S)

Click over for the schedule and current draft results.

Pick	Round 2	Selection	Date	Approval Rating
1(33)	Detroit Lions - UCrawford	CB Darius Butler	Weds., April 8th	48%
2(34)	New England Patriots (From Kansas City) - connerman	DE Robert Ayers	Weds., April 8th	67%
3(35)	St. Louis Rams - Lanier63	DT Evander Hood	Thursday, April 9th	55%
4(36)	Cleveland Browns - HIV2Elway	DE Connor Barwin	Thursday, April 9th	68%
5(37)	Seattle Seahawks - mikvogel	OT William Beatty	Friday, April 10th	67%
6(38)	Cincinnati Bengals - mistamic	C Max Unger	Friday, April 10th	68%
7(39)	Jacksonville Jaguars - DThomasReigns	G Duke Robinson	Monday, April 13th	72%
8(40)	Oakland Raiders - mushin	T Phil Loadholt	Monday, April 13th	68%
9(41)	Green Bay Packers - JasonM	DT Ron Brace	Tuesday, April 14th	62%
10(42)	Buffalo Bills - ArrowDread	DE Michael Johnson	Tuesday, April 14th	60%
11(43)	San Francisco 49ers - Harry Feltersnatch	DE/LB Larry English	Weds. April 15th	67%
12(44)	Miami Dolphins (From Washington) - shraggyj	WR Kenny Britt	Weds. April 15th	69%
13(45)	New York Giants (From New Orleans) - ChiefsFan90s	LB Clint Sintim	Thursday, April 16th	64%
14(46)	Houston Texans - ChiefsDude	FS Louis Delmas	Thursday, April 16th	37%
15(47)	New England Patriots (From San Diego) - connerman	DE/OLB Paul Kruger	Friday, April 17th	64%
16(48)	Denver Broncos (From Texans) - Keyser Sose	RB Donald Brown	Friday, April 17th	41%
17(49)	Chicago Bears - Holmeslice	C Jonathan Luigs	Monday, April 20th
18(50)	Cleveland Browns (From Tampa Bay) - HIV2Elway	RB Shonn Green	Monday, April 20th
19(51)	Dallas Cowboys - chiefsfan1384	SS William Moore	Monday, April 20th
20(52)	New York Jets - PSUkegreen	WR Mohamed Massaquoi	Tuesday, April 21st
21(53)	Philadelphia Eagles - Chiefsfan717	RB LeSean McCoy	Tuesday, April 21st
22(54)	Minnesota Vikings - kcsno56	C Eric Wood	Tuesday, April 21st
23(55)	Atlanta Falcons - RedNose	CB Victor Harris	Weds. April 22nd
24(56)	Miami Dolphins - shraggyj		Weds. April 22nd
25(57)	Baltimore Ravens - Ben S		Weds. April 22nd
26(58)	New England Patriots - connerman		Thursday, April 23rd
27(59)	Carolina Panthers - 808NaNz808		Thursday, April 23rd
28(60)	New York Giants - ChiefsFan90s		Thursday, April 23rd
29(61)	Indianapolis Colts - saskwatch		Friday, April 24th
30(62)	Tennessee Titans - Lvl.99		Friday, April 24th
31(63)	Arizona Cardinals - THE_TRUTH		Friday, April 24th
32(64)	Pittsburgh Steelers - McWhirt33		Friday, April 24th

Poll

Do you agree with the pick?

Yes

28 votes

No

8 votes

Indifferent

9 votes

45 votes | Poll has closed

SB Nation Writers Mock Draft: Round 2, Pick #64

Mocking Dan — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 16:01:45 -0000

No. 64

PITTSBURGH
STEELERS
Pick by Mocking Dan

Victor Harris
Cornerback
Virginia Tech

This writer did not send pick analysis. Sorry!

MTD thoughts: The gang from Behind the Steel Curtain didn't submit a pick. After center, I view Pittsburgh's needs as starting cornerback and depth along the defensive line and interior offensive line. Among those needs, Harris is easily the best prospect available.

This concludes the SB Nation writers mock draft.

Mocking the Draft's Top Five Remaining Prospects - QB Josh Freeman, RB Shonn Greene, CB Victor Harris, RB Javon Ringer, QB Nate Davis

The Valley Ranch Review: More Cowboys Draft Talk…Punt Returner, Anyone?

Aaron Novinger — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 19:00:14 -0000

The Cowboys concluded their visits with potential draft choices.

The visits, which began Wednesday and conclude Friday, included such players as Ohio State receiver Brian Robiskie, Western Michigan safety Louis Delmas, Richmond linebacker Lawrence Sidbury, Oregon cornerback Jairus Byrd and Texas Tech safety Darcel McBath.

Bobby Carpenter and Isaiah Stanback remember coming to The Ranch as draft prospects.

The Star-Telegram says Dallas needs another punt returner. I agree. What does the draft offer at this position?

Cornerbacks Alphonso Smith (Wake Forest) and Victor Harris (Virginia Tech) are two of the top punt returners in the draft, but likely will be gone when the Cowboys pick in the second round and even in the third. Arizona wide receiver Mike Thomas could be worth looking at in the middle rounds and Oklahoma wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias is a middle-round prospect who has return capabilities.

For an even better look at potential punt returners in the draft, review Carl's article from a month ago.

This is pretty cool. Billion Dollar Stadium will be featured on the Science Channel Monday night.

While the facility will not be open to the public until June 6, 2009, the Science Channel will showcase the new three million square-foot NFL venue on its hit show "Build it Bigger," airing Monday, April 20, 2009 at 10 p.m. (EDT).

In Rick Gosselin's 2^nd mock draft, he has the Cowboys taking safety Patrick Chung with their first pick.

Philadelphia traded away their 1st-rounder (28th overall), a 4th, and a 6th in 2010 to Buffalo for OT Jason Peters. Last night, the team signed the big man to a 6-year, $60 million contract. ESPN's Matt Mosley already ranks him as the best starting left tackle in the NFC East. He has Flozell coming in last.

Under the Tony Sparano (offensive line) regime, Adams played like an elite left tackle at times. Now he appears to have trouble getting out of his stance.

A Philadelphia city judge's campaign: "I've hated the Dallas Cowboys all my life". Feeling's mutual, I'm sure.

Scouting The Draft: Macho Harris

Matty I — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 04:15:06 -0000

All Macho does is make plays.

Let's turn our attention to cornerback now as we prepare for the draft. One of the most heavily discussed prospects this offseason has been Victor "Macho" Harris - the talented Virginia Tech corner.

So I enlisted the help of Glenn VanLandingham of VirginiaTechFan.com. Below are Macho's combine and pro day results followed by Glenn's scouting report on Harris.

Macho Harris

Height: 5'11 1/8" / Weight: 197
40: 4.48 / Arm: 31 3/4" / Vertical: 34" / Broad: 10'1"

Macho is built for the NFL. His measurables are good, but don’t wow you especially his speed. He’s 6’, around 195 lbs and probably only runs a 4.6 40-yard dash. However he’s simply a playmaker. Macho started regularly beginning in his true-SO year at cornerback, and quickly developed a knack for being around the ball. Ever since he’s lead the team and ranked high in the ACC for interceptions and pass breakups. When you talk about ‘lock down’ cornerbacks, that’s Macho.

In the Virginia Tech defense, cornerbacks are critical because of Bud Fosters attacking style defense. Bud’s played a modified 8 men in the box scheme since long before it was popular, so his approach is “I’ll get to your quarterback before your receivers get open”. That means Hokie cornerbacks get left on islands and have to be consistent, solid (and some say cocky). Macho basically took care of half the secondary for the Hokies for 3 years. When teams threw towards him, they risked INTs or pass breaks ups. Macho made several huge, game changing plays over the years for the Hokies, including several “pick-six”. The few games when he was out injured, they was a very noticeable difference in the performance of the defense.

Macho’s biggest drawback is his speed, which I believe will work against him on draft day. He generally makes up for it in athleticism and physicalness. Last year, he was moved to the ‘boundary corner’ position – the CB on the short side of the field which is responsible for a lot of run support, and Macho thrived. He had tons of Sportscenter-type hits on RBs and WRs, and blew up a bunch of screen plays. Again he has a knack for being around the ball and making plays.

The Hokies also put Macho to work on special teams as a kick-off returner primarily and occasional punt returner, where he also made big plays. They even put him on offense in his Jr and Sr year, though this may have had more to do with a lack of playmakers on that side of the ball than anything.

Bottom line, some NFL team will be getting a good one and I expect him to thrive at the next level.

A big thanks goes out to Glenn from VirginiaTechFan.com for putting this all together for us. And let me just add that I've watched a lot of Macho's highlights and read a lot about him and I've changed my tune on him. I'd absolutely love to see Harris wearing aqua and orange on Sundays. The kid's a stright up play-maker.

Cowboys Should Draft 'Name' Players

Jim Vance — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 04:15:06 -0000

I think I have come up with a sure fire criteria for judging draft prospects. It's right in front of our face and as far as I know, no one has considered this key measurement.

We look at a player's height, weight, 40 times, college stats, his IQ, his Wonderlic score and on and on ad nauseum. How about looking at the guy's name? Maybe his name could give us a clue as to his leadership ability. We need a good blue collar guy in our defensive backfield who can give directions and put people in the right position- how about Lydell Sargeant from Penn State? Of course, he would be outranked by Captain Munnerlyn, the South Carolina CB, if we were able to draft both.

If we chose to go the regal route, there is SirVincent Rogers, the OL from the U of Houston. I'm not sure exactly how high in the royal court SirVincent would rank but Oklahoma's Duke Robinson is an obvious step up. If we drafted a player based on his royal sounding name alone, we would have to go for Mitch King the Iowa defensive lineman. It's good to be the king.

Everyone says the draft is a gamble. What is one main ingredient you need when you gamble? You need to get lucky. So, maybe we draft Marlon Lucky, the RB from Nebraska. Our Cowboys have played like they were half-asleep, so should we consider drafting Glenn Coffee, the RB from Alabama, as a stimulant?

Some guys just have cool sounding names. Some have perfect football names. Fenuki Tupou the OL from Oregon has a cool sounding name. Most Pacific Islanders do. If you say Fenuki Tupou three times in a row, you're guaranteed to feel better for the rest of the day.

Jorvorskie Lane, the 280-pound fullback from Texas A&M is not just a name, it's also what they call the path he clears for his running back. "The running back walked untouched down Jorvorskie Lane for the score!"

Then there's Bear Pascoe the TE from Fresno State and Stryker Sulak the defensive lineman from Missouri. Stryker Sulak has to be one of the coolest football names ever. So is Bear Pascoe, although I would doubt his loyalties if we played Chicago.

It's all about winning though, so that's what we really need to be drafting for. They say to the victor belong the spoils, so if the Cowboys want the spoils, they need to draft victors. Fortunately Victor Butler the LB from Oregon State and Victor Harris a CB from Virginia Tech are available. And with Victor Harris you also get a tough guy, because most people know him by his nick-name Macho. Macho Harris- I can hear the PA system in the Jerry-Dome now, blasting out- "Macho Macho Man, I want to be a Macho Man"- every time he makes a play.

There is one guy though, by shear birthright, who has earned a spot on the Cowboys roster. Welcome the OG from BYU, Dallas Reynolds. If only he had a twin brother named Cowboy!