For senior Andrew Harris, sports have always been a major part of his life. A true dual sport athlete, Harris grew up playing both basketball and football, wearing pads from sixth grade through middle school. His freshman year, he decided to put football on hold to focus fully on basketball. It did not take long for him to realize something was missing, and he picked the pads back up his sophomore year.
“I really thought football was just something I was doing for fun,” Harris said. “Basketball was my focus for a long time, but after I posted my film my sophomore year and started getting looks, that is when I realized I could take this somewhere.”
Harris has played nearly every position in the front seven and on offense. His experience spans quarterback, wide receiver, and tight end on offense, along with inside and outside linebacker, defensive end, defensive tackle, and nose guard on defense.
Pittsburg State offered Harris a spot the day after McGuinness played Bishop Carroll in Week Four in Wichita, Kan. Harris said the moment felt significant from the start.
“I was super thankful,” Harris said. “They were the first people to really believe in me. From the moment I got the offer, I kind of knew that was where I was going to end up.”
He waited two weeks before committing so he could discuss the offer with his parents and consider other possibilities. Harris said Pittsburg State checked every box. The roughly five hour drive from Oklahoma City also played a role.
“You don’t have to get on a plane to come home,” Harris said. “I will be able to come back on weekends and see my family and friends. That is a huge plus.”
Harris plans to major in construction management. Although he is on the schools basketball team, he said he no longer plans to play the sport in college.
“I used to love basketball more,” Harris said. “Then something just changed out of the blue, and football became my priority. I am happy with where I am.”
Looking ahead to college, Harris said what he will miss most about McGuinness is the people around him.
“I will miss my teammates and coaches the most,” he said. “I believe we have the best coaches in Class 5A. They put us in position to succeed, and they teach us how to be better young men.”
Harris said the lessons he learned in high school football go far beyond the field. One of the biggest, he said, is how to handle adversity.
Our coaches always talk about how you will face adversity as a father and as a husband, so why not learn how to deal with it now as an 18 year old. Harris said. “That has taught me a lot.”
He said he will also miss the school community and the pride that surrounds the football program.
For younger players, Harris kept his advice simple.
“Just show up every day and work as hard as you possibly can,” Harris said. “The days that I wish I could get back are the ones where I did not leave it all out there in practice and in lifts.”
Starting later than many of his teammates forced Harris to learn that lesson quickly. With others already ahead in the playbook, system, and strength and conditioning, he said effort became his way to catch up.
“I started late anyway, so I had a lot of time to make up,” Harris said. “A lot of my teammates already had a year on me of being in the playbook and being in the system and strength and conditioning. For me to be at that disadvantage, I really had to work super hard to get myself out of that hole.”
That experience shaped the message he now shares with younger players.
“Hard work just takes care of everything,” Harris said.
