Harris excited to see Argos take next step in wide open East

Toronto Argonauts running back Andrew Harris made history on Sunday, becoming the sixth player in CFL history and the first Canadian to reach the 10,000 career rushing yards.

The 35-year-old racked up 143 rushing yards on 26 carries and added 45 additional yards on seven catches in the Argos’ 30-24 victory over the shorthanded Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Following the victory, the Winnipeg, Man. native said his yards don’t matter unless the team is winning and emphasized the need for the team to clean up their mistakes, as they went into halftime trailing the Riders 15-11 after Mario Alford returned a missed field goal 112 yards for a touchdown. He reiterated the sentiment on an appearance on TSN’s First Up on Tuesday morning.

“We were dominating the line of scrimmage. The turnovers and miscues over and over again. The message [in the locker room] is basically 'We've got them right where we want them. We've just got to keep controlling the football and the time of possession and we'll be alright,’” said Harris. “Honestly the third quarter was a tough one for us but our defence stuck in there and held it down. We know we have the talent, we just have to be able to do that for 60 minutes and keep it together.”

Harris is playing his first season with the Argonauts after spending the first 11 seasons of his career with the BC Lions and hometown Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Despite the change in address, the veteran said his transition to the East coast has been seamless and that he is excited by the potential of the East-leading Argonauts.

“The first couple of weeks I was getting to know my teammates and learning the playbook. But honestly it's been pretty seamless,” said Harris. “After playing with one organization, especially your hometown, for so long, there are questions and it could have been a tough move at this point in my career but it's been a great decision and I'm blessed for the opportunity to be here.

“Now that we're starting to get in a better rhythm with our offence, I'm really looking forward to seeing how this team is going to take the next step. With the East wide open the way it is, I'm really excited about this organization and where it's going to go.”

With his record-setting performance against the Roughriders, which puts him sixth on the league’s all-time rushing list with 10,068 yards, Harris was named one of the CFL top performers for Week 7. 

Argonauts teammate Kurleigh Gittens Jr. was also named a Week 7 top performer after catching eight passes for 152 yards and a touchdown in the win. Harris believes the outstanding performance is just the start for the talented wide receiver.

“Kurleigh is really exciting. The first thing I noticed is how he works at practice. That's what you want to see from a young guy, his work ethic and attention to detail,” said Harris. “Obviously his talent is game breaking and his ability is second to none. I'm excited to see how it progresses and how his career goes. He's going to be a great player for a long time.”

Up next, the Argos (3-2) will host the winless Ottawa Redblacks (0-6) on Sunday at BMO Field, looking to extend their East Division lead over the second place Alouettes (2-4).