Damien Harris gets high praise on Senior Day ... from a classroom instructor
Damien Harris, the Madison Southern High School star who went on to a standout career at Alabama that has included two national titles and two 1,000-yard rushing seasons, got praise on the Tide’s Senior Day for his exploits in the classroom.
Brian Oliu, an instructor at Alabama, took to Twitter on Saturday to tell of how Harris held himself and his teammates accountable in the classroom.
“I have a special place in my heart for students that look out for other students. Student athletes have this mentality built in — it’s one of the things I admire & enjoy about teaching them. (A certain Samoan QB is good at this too.) A rising tide lifts all boats, yeah?” Oliu tweeted. “But Damien is a perfect example of this — when my freshmen are slacking off, I can message Damien & he’ll take care of it. When you think of a model student-athlete, Damien is the guy. I’m grateful for him.”
Harris led the Tide in rushing in his sophomore and junior years and surprised many when he didn’t opt for the NFL Draft last season. While his stats are down a bit from a year ago with 719 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, he remains a key cog in No. 1 Alabama’s quest for the third national title during his time with the Tide.
This story was originally published November 26, 2018 at 3:10 PM.