Cowboys: Mike McCarthy praises 'incredible' coach entering Week 13
When Dallas Cowboys players and coaches talk about the success they've had at defensive back, one name seems to keep popping up again and again. Defensive backs coach Al Harris. Rising cornerback DaRon Bland shouted out Harris following his NFL record-setting pick-six on Thanksgiving. CeeDee Lamb pointed toward Harris when asked about Bland's rise. When […]
When Dallas Cowboys players and coaches talk about the success they've had at defensive back, one name seems to keep popping up again and again.
Defensive backs coach Al Harris.
Rising cornerback DaRon Bland shouted out Harris following his NFL record-setting pick-six on Thanksgiving. CeeDee Lamb pointed toward Harris when asked about Bland's rise. When you look back at Trevon Diggs' crazy 2011 season, you hear players talk about Harris as well.
Sure, the players and Dan Quinn usually take most of the credit but what Harris is doing on a positional level shouldn't be overlooked. Lately, it sure hasn't been.
Many media members are calling for Harris to get the credit he's due and even an anonymous former NFL scout posted on social media that he was bound to become a defensive coordinator in the league and that "whoever lands him will be lucky."
Richard Sherman recently echoed the sentiment that Harris is the best cornerback coach on the planet by reposting former Super Bowl champion safety Will Blackmon (Giants).
"Definitely, Al's an incredible coach, and I think anytime you have a chance to be in a room not only with someone that's an expert of how to do it but he's also done it, that carries a lot of weight in this game without a doubt," head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters on Sunday. "Personally, I'm just so happy for him to see him get some recognition for the type of job that he's done in our time here."
Harris, who played for McCarthy's Packers from 2006-2010, has things to say that even the Cowboys head coach can learn from. McCarthy revealed he sat in one of his "Across the Hall" lectures, where players get a different perspective from coaches from other positions.
"I sat in on Al's 'Across the Hall' with the receivers," McCarthy said. "So, it was really cool for them to hear some of the similar coaching points, you know, from a different language, a different perspective, especially from someone that's done it at such a high level like Al has."
Harris played in the league from 1997 to 2011, spending his entire rookie season in the league exclusively in the practice squad after being drafted in the sixth round. He was an intense player and his days sure prepared him for coaching at the NFL level, something he started doing in 2012.
"If you knew Al as a player, I mean he was, I mean he was a bulldog," said McCarthy when asked if he was surprised at Harris taking on coaching. "I mean he was just all football. But yeah, I mean, you know, I'm not surprised by it because of the way he played because it's the way he coaches, you know, and what he believes in. I mean, Al was such a strong technician when he played. We lined up, we played bump-and-run pretty much every snap, so he really always challenged, was a challenge for the receivers that we were preparing for week in and week out. And he coaches the same way."
With Dan Quinn fielding head coaching interviews pretty much every year, assistant coaches and position coaches are names Cowboys fans must keep in mind. Soon, the time could come for Dallas to promote somebody like Harris or Joe Whitt Jr., the current secondary coach.
For now, when you see Bland make a wild play, keep in mind Harris deserves a huge portion of the credit for developing his guys the right way.
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