One of nation's top sophomores Najee Harris helping rebuild Antioch football program

ANTIOCH, Calif. — There's no orange vest that Najee Harris slips into. There's no hard hat either, unless one considers his black and gold football helmet.

Harris has never lifted a jackhammer, sledge hammer or operated a crane.

But whether he knows it or not, the sophomore running back is leading a reconstruction at Antioch (Calif.). The Northern California school, about 45 miles east of San Francisco, is under construction after a recent $56-million Measure B Bond passed to make vast upgrades throughout the campus.

It coincides with the rebuilding of a once proud football program that has faltered over the last decade, going a combined 33-69 in that span heading into 2014.

But behind the impressive play and spirit of the talented running back and linebacker, the Panthers have rebuilt — fast. Almost as speedy as the elusive and powerful runner, whose numbers are hard to ignore.

* He stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 210 pounds — already college-ready size — and he's only 16 years old.

"One day I was looking down at him and it seemed like the next minute he was resting his chin on the top of my head," said Tianna Hicks of the youngest and largest of her five children.

* He's rushed for a Bay Area-best 1,102 yards (220.4 per game) and 13 touchdowns, and averages 8.8 yards per carry. He ranks sixth in the nation among sophomores in yards and second in California.

"What he does on the football field is indescribable," said Antioch junior linebacker Kobie Beltram, who led the team in tackles as a sophomore. "His power, speed, moves. … he just does everything."

* He's the No. 38 sophomore recruit overall in the country, according to 247Sports, and the No. 4 running back. More than 30 colleges have already contacted him and five have made offers: Cal, UCLA, Hawaii, Washington State and Utah. He's been a running back since the age of 6 and starred every step.

"Sky's the limit for Najee," Antioch offensive coordinator Brett Dudley said. "As long as he continues to put in the time and effort he'll definitely be a major Division I player and, if he keeps working there, he can play on Sundays."

But right now Harris is just focused on Fridays and helping the Panthers rebuild. Last year they were 1-9, the fourth time since 2004 they haven't won more than one game in a season.

With Harris, an all-senior offensive line, an aggressive, fast defense and a bevy of strong skill-position players, the Panthers are 4-1 this season. They have moved all the way to 17th in the MaxPreps North Coast Section rankings, and Friday they play at No. 8 Freedom (Oakley), who last year featured All-American back Joe Mixon.

Many have compared Harris' skill set with Mixon's. Harris, however, shuts out all of the comparisons and hyperbole.

"I'm really not worried about my rushing yards or college yet," he said. "I just want us to win and to make Antioch a place where kids want to go. I want to leave it a better place."

Such an attitude measures equal if not greater to his gaudy statistics, say coaches and teammates. His charming personality has made him popular with peers and teachers.

He mentions his teammates first, like the offensive line that he calls "the best I've ever played behind in 10 years of football."

They are tackles Leti Akolo and Will Elsberry, guards Michael Fonteno and Jonathan Gaytan and center Scott Adams. Tight end Beltram and the absolutely punishing play at fullback by Michael Gray help pave the way for Harris.

Once he gets in the open field, though, "it's magic," Dudley said. "He just does some special, special things once in the secondary."

More impressive, said junior varsity coach Nick Wisely, are his magical traits inside.

"Najee is just a great kid," Wisely said. "I could tell right away there was something special about him. Totally down to earth and humble. I love the head he has on his shoulders. It will help him reach great heights."

Said Dudley: "You wouldn't think he's the area's top rusher with all these college offers. He always just talks about what he can do better."

Said Beltram: "He's funny and friendly. Gets along with everyone. He's just a good kid."

That's music to the ears of his mother, who named Harris after jazz saxophonist Najee (pronounced Naw-jee). Since moving from Seattle (Wash.) to Richmond when he was 9, making ends meet as a single mom has been challenging, especially when the older kids headed to college.

"We've gotten through by the grace of God," she said. "It's not been easy. But Najee has stayed grounded. He's always been very charismatic and loyal and a good judge of character. I'm very proud of that."

After numerous stops, the family moved from Hercules to Antioch early during his freshman year. He played half the season at junior varsity before being elevated to varsity, where he stood out more at linebacker (5.4 tackles per game) than running back, where Antioch already thrived.

"It was exciting (to play varsity as a freshman)," he said. "I was excited to play against athletes like Joe Mixon and Nzuzi Webster. The speed of the game was way faster, but I got used to it."

He transitioned as quickly off the field as he did on it.

"It was hard because I had and have a lot of friends in Richmond and Hercules," Harris said. "But now I have a lot of friends here. It's all been good."