Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. makes his own impact as WR

ATLANTA – There was pressure – of course there was pressure.

Marvin Harrison Jr. wasn’t just following his dad into football, he was playing the exact same position as his Hall of Fame dad, Marvin Harrison, hoping to become a wide receiver after realizing early in high school that football, and not his first love of basketball, it was his calling.

« People kind of expect you to be as good if not better than he was, » the Ohio State sophomore said Thursday at the Peach Bowl media day. . « The pressure is always there, I just got used to it over time. »

The pressure doesn’t seem to bother young Harrison. He was able to handle expectations well growing up — they made him want more of himself — by becoming a four-star recruit at St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia. As a freshman, he was given the nickname « Route Man Marv » by Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud. This season he has emerged as a top receiver, making up for Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s absence throughout the season by catching 72 passes for 1,157 yards and 12 touchdowns. He won the Big Ten’s Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year award as well as consensus All-American honors.

Harrison, an eight-time Pro Bowler who won a Super Bowl with the Colts, played a major role in his son’s rise. But not in the bossy, helicopter-parent way. He gives space to his son. He never pushed football. When his son asks for advice, he is there to give it.

« He lets me be my own person, » Harrison Jr. said. « He doesn’t really add pressure to me. »

There are similarities between the two, Harrison Jr. believes, particularly in their precise running and technique. The Ohio State star thinks he’s faster than his dad, though his dad might disagree, and at 6-foot-4 he’s taller. He has no memories of his dad as a gamer, as he was only 6 when Harrison hung up on him, but he’s watched a movie of him and is wracking his brains over minor details that may bother him. give an advantage.

« Obviously having someone you can talk to about football, knows what they’re talking about, has seen so many things, been through so many different things, played with so many great players, definitely helps, » said Harrison Jr.

Young Harrison has started to make a name for himself and is expected to be one of the best receivers in college football next season. He could end up being drafted higher than his father, who was taken 19th overall in 1996 at Syracuse. But Harrison Jr. doesn’t expect anything to change for him, certainly not being known as the son of Marvin Harrison.

« I don’t think it’s ever going to stop, » he laughed. “He will always be there. No matter how good I do, I will always be his son. I sort of embraced it at this point.