Video: Najee Harris runs over secondary
Antioch senior and nation's No. 1 recruit rushed for 217 yards and four TDs in win over Deer Valley.There was a very good reason
Antioch (Calif.) senior
Najee Harris missed his flight to Alabama on Friday night.
His team needed him in the worst way of what turned out be a very tough 44-19 victory at arch-rival Deer Valley (Antioch).
The nation's No. 1 recruit was schedule to get on an 11:30 p.m. flight from Sacramento — roughly 75 minutes away — meaning he and his mom needed to leave Friday's 7 p.m. game early.
The Panthers (5-3), fighting for a playoff berth, were a big favorite but Deer Valley (1-7) is a cross-town rival and actually led 19-16 with nine minutes remaining.
That's when Harris took complete charge as shown in this bullish 45-yard touchdown run. The 6-foot-2, 226-pound senior broke at least seven tackles en route to the score. (See video). It started 28-0 run in less than a quarter.
Harris added another touchdown run in the flurry to finish with 215 yards on 17 carries and four touchdowns. After his final TD, he and mom sped out of the visiting stadium, caught a arranged ride but were minutes late for the flight that would have eventually landed him in Tuscaloosa for his official visit.
That's where the top-ranked Crimson Tide defeated No. 6 Texas A&M 33-14. Harris now has 1,757 yards on 168 carries and 22 touchdowns. On Friday he also completed a 40-yard pass. He also caught five passes for 126 yards and two scores and added 13 tackles and two interceptions in very limited play from safety.
Harris was Alabama's first 2017 verbal commit in the spring of 2015 but is certainly listening to other offers, including those from Jim Harbaugh at Michigan and California squads, USC, UCLA and Cal. No new date has been set for Harris to visit Alabama.
Najee Harris, Antioch
File photo by Dennis Lee
