Found amid the rubble in KC: Marques Harris

Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006
By Josh Lewin, Chargers.com

There were a few hidden items unearthed during last weekend’s trip to Kansas City:

• Marty was right.  Beware the wounded animal.  The Chiefs, fresh off a 45-7 shellacking in Pittsburgh bolted out of the gate forcing more turnovers in the game’s first 10 minutes than the Chargers had allowed all season.
• The Chargers, like Big 12 college programs, are “traveling well.”  After a squadron of powder blue descended on San Francisco the week prior, the Chargers arrived at their Kansas City hotel to a welcome befitting an archbishop.
• Said hotel did the Chargers no favors by sounding a 5:15 A.M. alarm on Sunday morning, declaring a “building emergency.”  At 5:28 A.M. said emergency was proclaimed to be a moot point.  Thanks, guys.
•  LT can also stand for Lousy Tackling and Lawrence Tynes.  Bummer.
• 43 degrees in Kansas City is not quite as desirable as 83 in Mission Valley.

But, if you’re really looking for a nugget to dislodge from the otherwise forgettable foray into Arrowhead, maybe it’s the following:

• LB Marques Harris can seriously back-flip.

Number 92 did it twice, after sacking Damon Huard and stripping him of the football with 7:00 left in the game and the Chargers down by seven.  It was an aerial show worthy of several replays, although I’m not sure if CBS ran it back that many times, if at all.  (CBS did, unfortunately, have the definitive camera angle that proved that third-down pass to Antonio Gates short-hopped before he caught it.  That reversal was a huge play in the game.)

Anyhow, I’m not sure too many other 92’s in football are qualified to double back-flip their way from the flat to the sideline.  Certainly the Chiefs’ James Reed would be a surprise.  The Ravens’ Haloti Ngata?  No chance.  But Marques Harris?  Shoot, even Franco Harris couldn’t pull off the arabesque and stick the landing like that.  Ozzie Smith did the full-on human loop-de-loop for the Padres and the Cardinals, but most other pro athletes would have a tough time navigating even half a back-flip, let alone a flurry of full ones.  Bravo, Marques… that’s a better celebration than the Lights Out Dance, Shaun Phillips’ “Bowling” celebration, or any Ickey Shuffle, Dirty Bird or other like-minded me-moment to spawn from a football field.

If you’re not fully aware of who Marques Harris even is, don’t fret.  Coming into the Chiefs game, he’d had only one career NFL sack, although if you’re going to have only one, it may as well be of Eli Manning… and it was, on national TV last year.

The concept of “quality depth” is best expressed when a guy like Harris steps up at a big moment.  With Phillips out for the game with a calf injury, two undrafted free agents started rushing the QB the way Phillips assuredly would have had he not gotten hurt; Harris and Derreck Robinson.  That’s one of the most glorious elements of that 2005 draft, which is already shaping up to be among the best in Charger history.  Robinson and Harris weren’t even part of it – they were added after the fact, following Merriman, Luis Castillo and Vincent Jackson.  Add that influx of talent to the bounty of the preceding year, and you’ve got the makings of a juggernaut for years to come in San Diego.  Remember 2004’s draft? Let’s review: Manning, flipped to the Giants for Philip Rivers.  Igor Olshansky. Nate Kaeding (with the Giants’ third-round pick, as part of the Manning deal.)  Nick Hardwick.  Phillips.  Wow.  Maybe the only better draft in Charger history would have been the 1975 treasure hunt that netted Gary “Big Hands” Johnson, Louie Kelcher and Fred Dean, among others.

As for number 92, Mr. Harris, he’s a guy worth getting to know.  Not only is he capable of making plays and performing feats of gymnastic amazement, he’s a true Nice Guy off the field.  He regularly volunteers in the San Diego community, and has a true appreciation for community service in general.  While in college at Colorado, he founded Harris’ Kids Inc., an organization to help underprivileged children needing a mentor and/or a tutor.  Later, while at Southern Utah State, he founded Baseline, Inc., a group with similarly altruistic intentions.

The Grand Junction, Colorado native made a grand exit from the field following the biggest play of his young career and, if nothing else, it helped get his name in the paper and into an internet column to let everyone know that indeed, this is a keeper of a player and person.  It’s a shame the back flips weren’t ultimately associated with a win.

A few tickets still remain for the Rams game – you are cordially invited to come on out and see if next time, number 92 will maybe break dance and perform a few cartwheels.  If not, the entertainment is at the Bud Light Power Party tent starting at 10 am.  My band, “Independent George,” is playing the official tailgate party and we want to see you rock n’ rollers getting your proverbial freak on before kickoff.  (We’ll also be at Jolt’n Joe’s at 4th and J in Gaslamp Friday night, 9 pm-1 am, with Chargers merchandise and tickets to the game to be periodically given away throughout the night.)  We don’t expect to see too many dance moves like Marques Harris can provide, but hey, at least it’ll be warmer than 43 degrees, guaranteed.

E-mail Josh Lewin at joshrock105@gmail.com.

And check out www.independentgeorge.com for more information on the greatest 35-and-over cover-band ever to come out of Southlake, TX.