Miles
Well-known member
- Mar 18, 2019
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But should we instead remember the big plays Harris made time and time again? Through those moments that are snapshots of a career?
There's Harris crossing the goal line in Oakland in 2015, arms spread wide as an infuriated Black Hole jeered at him.
There he is again, grabbing his second pick of the game and returning it for a touchdown in a 24-point comeback against the Chargers in 2012 on "Monday Night Football."
A diving pick against Cam Newton in a Super Bowl 50 rematch. A 98-yard pick-six against the Ravens in 2012. A shared high-five with Todd Davis as he housed another interception in 2018.
Of his 20 career interceptions, a surprisingly high number seemed to swing games in the Broncos' favor.
What if football has only so much to do with his impact on the franchise? Should we primarily celebrate that even as his star-power and name recognition grew, Harris always prioritized the Denver community?
The Broncos' 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year has long been one of the team's most-involved players in charitable efforts.
He and his wife, Leah, started the Chris Harris Jr. Foundation in 2012 to provide underprivileged youth with unique opportunities, and he's advanced those efforts in the years since.
Harris holds an annual "Underdog Academy Football & Cheer Camp" in Tulsa, Oklahoma each year for youth athletes, and he's been a key partner for the Denver Children's Home, which helps kids who have survived trauma and neglect.
Harris' annual "Shop with a Jock" event allows children from DCH and the Salvation Army to participate in a holiday shopping spree, and his "Coats for a Cause" drive has raised hundreds of coats for families in need. Harris has participated in additional campaigns that promote healthy relationships and address domestic violence.
The former Broncos cornerback has also helped host the Denver Rescue Mission's annual holiday party for much of the previous decade.
Perhaps what makes Harris such an important player — and an impressive man — is that his legacy doesn't consist of just one of these pillars. He's never been content to thrive in just one aspect of his game or his life.
He's both a key member of the "No-Fly Zone" and #StrapHarris on his own. He can lock down opposing receivers and make game-changing plays. He's made time to advance his football career and his impact on the community.
That's a rare trait, and it's what's made it such a pleasure to watch Harris succeed at the highest level over the last several years.
And it's also what makes it so difficult to say goodbye.