WESTFIELD, Ind. (AP) — The first joint practice between the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals created a throwback atmosphere Wednesday.
Reggie Wayne went back to work on the field. Edgerrin James signed autographs at the fence line. Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon thanked the Colts for giving him a chance to show he could coach.
And, yes, Marvin Harrison Jr. returned to the only NFL city his father ever called home.
It was a big moment for the Cardinals’ 22-year-old rookie receiver.
“Yeah, it’s kind of crazy,” he said, flashing that familiar Harrison smile. “Just really special. So happy to be here.”
Harrison Jr. wasn’t exactly a prominent personality when his Hall of Fame father was catching passes from Peyton Manning and challenging Wayne to keep up with his record-breaking pace. The elder Harrison always preferred to keep his private life, well, private.
Junior did most of his initial work behind the scenes. He attended periodic games, occasionally attended a training camp practice, even managed to walk on the Colts’ home turf. And, yes, he also attended his father’s induction into Indy’s Ring of Honor in 2011, dreaming of the day he might follow his father to the NFL.
It didn’t take long to see the comparisons.
The Philadelphia prep star quickly caught the attention of college scouts. During his three seasons at Ohio State, Harrison Jr. swept the awards, too, twice earning unanimous All-American status while taking home last year’s Biletnikoff Award, for the nation’s top receiver, and the Big Ten MVP Award.
Through it all, though, one thing eluded him — he never got to play at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Colts and the Big Ten’s football championship game. Saturday could change that equation.
The Cardinals and Colts are holding workouts at Grand Park Sports Complex in Westfield, Indiana, a northern suburb of Indy, on Wednesday and Thursday. On Saturday, they’ll square off in their second preseason game.
While most coaches tend to rest the starters during joint practice weeks, Gannon said he’s not made up his mind yet.
“No, we’re not going to pull back,” the Cardinals coach said. “I mean we’ll evaluate who’s going to be up and down after these two practices, but they know, all 90 guys know, they’re coming to practice twice, we’ve got a day off and then be ready to play.”
Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray won’t play Saturday. Gannon made that clear before last weekend’s preseason opener. Murray returned from a torn anterior cruciate ligament for the final eight games last season.
While it’s unclear if Murray’s absence may impact Harrison’s status Saturday, the No. 4 overall pick in April’s draft made it perfectly clear he wants to catch some passes. Harrison Jr., like his father, doesn’t want to take any snaps off — even in practice or the preseason.
“Definitely,” he said when asked if it would mean something to him to play on the same field as his father.
“Unfortunately, haven’t gotten a chance to play there. Never got a chance to make it there, but I’ve been there before.”
In fact, this will be Harrison Jr.’s third trip to Lucas Oil Stadium in 13 months.
He showed up in a blue suit with blue-and-white checkered Vans shoes for the Big Ten media days in July 2023. He returned in March for the NFL’s annual scouting combine, but did not work out and declined to do interviews.
And now that he’s back, he wants to show everyone in Indianapolis he’s every bit as good — if not better — than his father.
“There’s really nothing that he can do that I can’t do or vice versa,” Harrison said. “I’m my own person. But he was more of a smaller receiver when I was watching him grow up. I use my size a little bit more, I think I’ve made it to this point on my own path, and I’m going to continue to work hard and see where it takes me.”
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