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Ball Hawk
Harris, proficient at forcing fumbles, eagerly awaits shot at Bears, his former team
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Published: September 14, 2008
CHARLOTTE - Chris Harris might not succeed in forcing any fumbles this afternoon when the Carolina Panthers play the Chicago Bears at Bank of America Stadium.
Then again, he just might.
Harris led the NFL in forced fumbles last season with eight, setting a Panthers record in the process. He got another one last Sunday in a season-opening 26-24 victory at San Diego, a play that was every bit as instrumental in the victory as Dante Rosario's last-second touchdown catch.
Harris' tackle and takeaway on Antonio Gates after a short pass resulted in Chris Gamble's 31-yard return for a touchdown, giving the Panthers a 16-10 lead late in the third quarter.
It is an uncommon skill, and one that has established Harris as one of the Panthers' biggest playmakers from his strong-safety position. And if he can do it again today, there'll be added satisfaction and significance.
Harris, a fourth-year pro, learned the tricks of the trade while with the Bears during his first two seasons. He was acquired by the Panthers in a trade during training camp last year, at a time when the Bears were overstocked with safeties.
"I'm excited," Harris said. "I circled that game on my calendar the minute I saw it in the offseason. I have been waiting to play them. I wish we could have played them last year. I'm ready to play, so it will be a fun game."
Harris credits Coach Lovie Smith and the Bears' staff for teaching him how to force fumbles, particularly how to strip the ball from receivers and running backs. Harris is one of the hardest hitters in the NFL, but it's not always a case of jarring the ball loose with a vicious hit.
"That was something they harped on when we were there, stripping," Harris said. "They kept count on how many strip attempts we had in practice. It got that minute. Every day in the morning meetings, they put up a chart of how many strip attempts you had. It was a huge thing to create turnovers there."
Smith is proud of his pupil, and he enjoyed the benefits during Harris' time in Chicago. Harris forced one of four turnovers when the Bears routed New Orleans in the NFC Championship game two seasons ago and went on to the Super Bowl.
"If it was really easy to do, then everyone would be doing it," Smith said last week during a teleconference with reporters who cover the Panthers. "A guy like Chris has a knack for doing that. The first step to doing it is to be conscious of it and have that as one of your goals each play. To me, the object of the defense is to score or get the ball back. So if you go in there with that mindset, some good things can happen to you."
Mindset and instincts, Harris said, have been the keys.
"I guess it's who wants it more," he said. "A lot of guys aren't conscious of it. They just tackle to tackle. I don't tackle just to tackle. I go in looking to rip the ball out. So you have to make sure you secure the tackle first, and I make sure I have the guy wrapped up.
"I don't go for the ball first, I make sure I have the guy wrapped up. Then as we're going to the ground, that's when I try to get it out of there. I keep that in mind every time I tackle somebody."
Harris was Carolina's leading tackler last week with 10, after finishing second on the team to Jon Beason last season with 102. His goal this season is to increase the turnover total. Counting an interception against Indianapolis, he was responsible for nine turnovers last season.
"I said I wanted 10 turnovers last year, and I got nine," Harris said. "So I'm pushing my goal up to 12 this year -- interceptions, fumbles, fumble recoveries, whatever. That it something I want to do. I want to be known in this league as a guy who creates turnovers."
He said he's over the bitterness of being traded by the Bears after their Super Bowl appearance, but it did linger for a while. He thought he established himself in 2007, thought he played a key role. He had an interception in the Super Bowl, played well -- and then the Bears dealt him to the Panthers for a lowly fifth-round draft pick early in training camp the next year.
But it has worked out well. Harris filled a big void in the secondary last season, and the Panthers rewarded him with a four-year, $13.3 million contract.
"I think I've already proved them (the Bears) wrong," Harris said. "I was a little bitter when it happened, of course. I'm pretty sure most people would be. But I'm their opponent now, so I'm going to give them hell."
Smith just hopes that Harris won't come back to haunt the Bears today. If he does, Smith can't complain.
"Chris was a good football player when he came here," Smith said. "He had a knack for the ball, and he's a good football player with a good football sense. It tuned out well for Chris. He did an awful lot for us. He helped us get to the Super Bowl. I think it worked out well for him, and we have moved on as well. It definitely worked out for him, and I'm glad for him."
■ John Delong can be reached at jdelong@wsjournal.com.
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